


I Am Become

by kemnam



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst, BAMF Lucy, Does not include 100 year quest, END is still a threat, Gajevy - Freeform, Gruvia - Freeform, Makarov didn't make it, Multi, Nalu - Freeform, Natsu does some soul searching, Not romance centered, after the manga, hints of jerza, natsu and lucy are engaged, no gajevy baby
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-01-04 06:33:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 27,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21193175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kemnam/pseuds/kemnam
Summary: It's been three years. Zeref is gone, all of his books burned. Natsu is alive, and free to marry the girl of his dreams. But fate is cruel, and Natsu cannot escape what he really is, no matter how hard he tries. If he wants to save everybody from himself, he'll have to go back to the beginning. "Now I am become death, destroyer of worlds."





	1. Here There Be Monsters

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters.

He tried to think back to who it was that had talked him into this.

But it was all him. It had been his own fault. He had picked the job.

"Damn it."

"Still think this is a good idea?"

Natsu crouched at the edge of the dock, staring down into the green waters of the marina. The air was warm and humid, the sun bright and hot in the clear sky above. He could feel its heat on his bare back and shoulders and radiating from the old wood planks beneath his feet. The only relief was the light breeze that fluttered through his hair and the scarf tied around his waist, carrying the smell of the sea. His dark eyes followed the curling paths of the small minnows just below the surface of the water – anything to keep from looking at the boat anchored just in front of him, rocking lightly in the harbor.

"No."

"Well, Natsu, I hate to say it," Lucy smirked, tying a blue shawl around her waist on top of her shorts. "But I told you so."

"Really Natsu, what did you think was gonna happen?" Happy was also staring at the minnows. They were too small to be worth the trouble of trying to catch them, he decided.

"I don't know," Natsu sighed. "That maybe we would just fish from shore? Or something?"

"Oh right. Of course. We were gonna get our tackle and bait and just _fish_ for a fifty-ton monster right here in the shallows." Natsu could practically hear her rolling her eyes. But he knew she had a point. Sighing in resignation, the dragon slayer dropped his head between his knees.

"Is there really no other way?" The very thought of swaying and rocking of any kind was enough to make his stomach churn.

"The Leviathan's main food source can only be found in the open ocean. So, naturally, that's where we're going to find it – which means we'll have to leave land. And there's no way we're going to swim all the way out there."

A whimper crawled up Natsu's throat.

"This sucks." Collapsing his legs and falling back on his butt, Natsu hung his head in defeat.

Lucy put a soft hand on his back as she chuckled. "Nine times out of ten there will be a boat involved with jobs that take place in the water. You know that."

Happy smirked. "Yeah right. I bet he just wanted to fight the giant fish so bad he didn't even think about it."

Their only response was another groan. Moving her hand from his back to his head, Lucy tangled her fingers in his pink hair and scratched his scalp lightly.

"There's no shame in going home, you know," Lucy said reassuringly as she gave Happy a wink. The cat returned her with a sly grin. "I'm sure Fairy Tail can send someone else to finish the job… Maybe we should let Gray take this one."

She felt her companion stiffen beneath her hand. Without missing a beat, Natsu shot back up to his full height, turning on Lucy and gently taking her hand from his hair. The other arm captured her waist, drawing her in closer. Lucy smugly grinned at her successful attempt to get a rile out of him. Mentioning the Ice Mage usually had that effect. Natsu smirked back, thankful for the momentary distraction from what lied ahead.

"That," Natsu said lowly. "Is _not_ going to happen."

Lifting Lucy's hand up to his face, Natsu's eyes drifted down to her fingers. The quiet sparkle of the jewel on her ring reflected a small rainbow across the bridge of his nose. She leaned in closer to him, watching his face as he planted a soft kiss to her knuckles. Not a single day had gone by that she hadn't worn the band proudly – ever since that special night that she had promised to be his forever, and he hers.

"Excuse me, are you from Fairy Tail?"

All of them turned to see a man walking towards them, his heavy muck boots thudding on the wooden boards of the dock. It was easy to tell he was a sailor - his face was wrinkled by the sea, his graying hair touched by the sun, and his skin was wind worn. But he held a gentle spark in his eye and a determined gait in his step. Pulling away from Natsu, Lucy smiled at the man as she held out her hand, her guild mark clear for him to see.

"Yep! That's us!" After shaking his hand, Lucy procured a folded piece of paper from her shorts pocket and offered it to the man. "Are you the one who filed this request with the guild? It said to meet the client at this boat."

The man's eyes scanned the paper. Looking up at Lucy, he smiled once more and nodded.

"Yes ma'am, that would be me." The fisherman placed a hand on his chest and gave the mages a small bow. "I'm Captain Kobe. I've been commissioned by the mayor to ship you out to where the monster is known to be seen."

Lucy could almost hear Natsu's spirits drop.

"I'm Lucy, and this is Natsu," she said with a smile.

"I'm Happy. Nice to meet you, sir!" Happy grinned up at Kobe, bouncing lightly from foot to foot in excitement. "Are we gonna have a chance to do any actual fishing while we're out?"

Kobe laughed at the small animal, but his laugh sounded forced. His smile didn't quite reach his eyes this time.

"I'll see what we can do," the Captain said kindly. "There aren't as many fish as there used to be, not since that Leviathan came around and started eating them all. It's… been hard to do business here."

The small fishing village of Gladrindale made a quiet living off of what they could grow from the land and what they could catch from the sea. It was a peaceful, beautiful place set along the southern coast of Fiore, and usually entertained a slew of traders from Caelum, the island country to the south. That had all changed, however, when the beast had showed up out of nowhere about four months ago, then the fish became scarce and the sea too dangerous to traverse. The appearance of this Leviathan was not only strange, but greatly devastating to the economy of the tiny town. The reward for the job of getting rid of the creature was not very large – about 30,000J – but Lucy suspected that it was all that they had.

"Don't you worry." Natsu took a step forward, offering one of his signature smiles. "We'll take care of this stinking fish and everything will go back to how it should be. You have our promise."

"Then, in advance, you have my thanks," Kobe replied with another small bow. "And the thanks of everyone in Gladrindale."

"It's no problem." Lucy looked to Natsu, sharing his grin. "It's what we do."

"Then by all means, we'll cast off as soon as you're ready."

Kobe stepped up to his boat and took a large step onto the railing. Dropping down onto the deck of the small boat with practiced ease, he turned to Lucy and offered her a helping hand. Taking the old captain's hand, Lucy allowed herself to be safely guided onto the ship. As soon as she was steady on her feet, Kobe put a friendly hand on her shoulder.

"Welcome aboard the _Light Chaser_, Miss Lucy!" Kobe chuckled. "Fastest ship in Southern Fiore!"

Lucy shared his laugh before turning back to the dock were Natsu still stood. He looked less than thrilled, brows drawn together as he regarded the boat with trepidation. Happy, taking the initiative, hopped aboard the ship and found a spot on one of the two fishing chairs that were bolted to the deck. Smiling gently up at her fiancé, Lucy reached out to him.

"Come on," she encouraged. "I'll be right here with you."

Natsu looked up into her warm brown eyes and felt the tension fade from his muscles. She was so beautiful, the bright light of the sun tinting her hair platinum. He smiled as he took her hand. "Yeah, okay. Let's do this!"

His bravado, though admirable, was instantly thrown out the window two minutes later when the _Light Chaser_ pulled out of the marina and made its way toward the open seas. Clinging to the rails of the boat desperately, Natsu trembled as he tried to keep his eyes open and pinned to the horizon, or some stable focal point within the rolling waves. Lucy sat next to him, rubbing comforting circles into his back.

"Is he going to be okay?" Kobe peeked out of the small cabin that housed the wheel, one eyebrow raised in concern. "I can slow down. Or let me know if I need to stop so he can…feed the fishes, if you know what I mean."

Happy giggled at the clever expression.

"I think that might make it worse." Lucy smiled apologetically. "But this is how he always is. Don't worry about him."

"Luuuuccyyyyy…" Natsu's weak cry barely escaped his lips. "'m dyyyyiinnnng…"

"I knew a guy that got seasick once," Kobe started. "Said his brain didn't like being sloshed around so much. I may not be the smartest man on the water, but I'm pretty sure that's not how sea sickness works."

Lucy sighed, stopping her ministrations. Looping one of Natsu's arms over her shoulders and lifting the man up from the bench, she dragged him over to the other fishing chair, where she flopped him down on it like a rag doll. Lucy scratched the back of her neck as she examined Natsu, disappointed that the "horizon technique" seemed to work less and less every time. Boats always seemed to bring out the worst of his selectively sensitive stomach. But it would be unwise to let Natsu spend the entire trip using up all of his energy just to keep his stomach. There was really only one thing that seemed to work without fail, and that was simply falling asleep. Leaning his head back, Natsu closed his eyes and tucked an arm behind his head. Lucy took his hand and pinched the flesh between his thumb and fingers, an old technique Erza had taught her to relieve pain. After a while, Natsu began to snore softly as he succumbed to uneasy rest.

Kobe watched them from over his shoulder as he manned the wheel. After the young man had gone limp in the fishing chair, Lucy sighed and returned to her spot on the bench. Happy glanced over at his friend from the other fishing chair, a small rod already cast held tightly in his paws. Sitting back, Lucy laid her arms over the rail and let the sun warm her skin. She had a scar on her left hip, Kobe noticed, shaped like an exploding star. Lucy chuckled softly and turned to smile up at the captain.

"This reminds me a lot of our third date," she laughed, nostalgia glistening in her eyes.

Kobe smiled back at the young woman, tied off the wheel and sails, and took a seat on the bench across from Lucy. For a while, they all sat in silence, and it seemed like just another normal day at sea. The sun was hot, but the breeze kept Lucy's skin cool. Happy hummed a small tune as he contently gave a tug on his fishing line every couple of minutes. Natsu, for better or worse, was no longer a pale shade of green. The rocking of the boat was similar to that of his hammock back home if he concentrated hard enough, and it soothed him.

"It's very nice here." Lucy spoke just loud enough to be heard over the wind in their ears. "Maybe when this is all over, we'll come back here as actual tourists. How does that sound, Happy?"

"Aye, sir!"

"I'm glad you like it." Captain Kobe smiled at her. "We may not have all the flare of Akane Resort or the grandeur of Harjeon, but I've come to find that simple things can be beautiful as well."

"I wouldn't call Gladrindale simple, really." Lucy looked back where they had come, taking in the view of the small town nestled within the green hills. "There's something…enchanting, about it. Almost like it comes straight out of a story."

Kobe laughed, following her gaze. "That's one way of putting it, I suppose!"

"Trust me, I've been to Akane and Harjeon," Lucy stated. There was no love lost in her voice. "I would definitely choose here any day."

"Well, that's mighty kind of you, Miss Lucy." Kobe raised a hand. "If you ever do come back, don't be afraid to contact me. I'll take you for a pleasure cruise along the coast!"

Lucy laughed, and she could hear Happy snort in his chair. "Sounds wonderful, but I think we might have to forgo that for some other time." She pointed her chin at Natsu. He looked like he was sliding out of the fishing chair, but was probably to sleepy to care.

Kobe smiled, fondly watching the couple. Memories of when he was young and in love resurfaced in his mind, of passionate nights and days full of adventure. Those days were long gone, but the old fisherman and his wife still acted like love struck teenagers every now and then.

"So, what made the mayor choose you for this job?" Lucy said, bringing Kobe out of his thoughts.

"I volunteered," he replied. "Besides, all the other fisherman are too scared to come out here anymore."

Lucy blinked at Kobe. He must have been very brave indeed if nobody else wanted to do this job. Kobe spoke again, his gray eyes cast to the sky.

"I've lived in Gladrindale all my life, born and raised. I met my wife here, and it's where our two kids were born. We might not have it all, but we have enough. My family is happy and healthy, my kids are educated, and I love what I do. You can't really ask for more than that." Kobe looked back to Lucy, a real, content smile on his face. He looked so much younger when he smiled, Lucy thought. "So when that monster showed up and everything started going to hell, I vowed to myself and my family that I would do whatever I could to make things right, to give them back the life they deserved."

Lucy nodded. She knew what it was like to fight for the things she loved. She may not have a family of flesh and blood anymore, but she did have a family of shared scars and laughter, of tears and victory. And she had Natsu. Three years ago, she had almost lost everything. She would do anything to keep that from ever happening again.

"So how long have you two been together?" Kobe asked. It was an innocent question, but a blush still rose to Lucy's cheeks.

"Technically, we've been dating for three years," Lucy replied, but then held up her hand, allowing her ring to twinkle in the sun. "But we got engaged a little over six months ago!"

Kobe's eyes widened, impressed by the diamond. "Congratulations to you two. I wish you both the best of luck and happiness in your future."

"Thank you!" Lucy turned her hand so she could look at her ring. To be honest, she had almost fainted when Natsu had presented the ring to her. The diamond wasn't big enough to be gaudy, but was nothing to scoff at either. Natsu had said that he had chewed the diamond out of charcoal himself.

"I proposed to my wife when we were both eighteen years old." The old captain sighed at the fond memory. "She turned me down the first time, said we were too young. Had to figure who we were first before we could be together. And that's exactly what we did. We traveled the world and found ourselves along the way. Then we came home, and she finally agreed to marry me. Of all the wonders I've seen, she is still the most wondrous to me."

Tears pricked at Lucy's eyes, her heart ached slightly. "That's what I want. To grow old with Natsu and never lose the wonder."

"When you've been through so much with one person, experienced life's ups and downs together," Kobe started, sitting forward toward Lucy. "Time becomes a distant concept, a thing that happens to everybody else. There are some days that I believe my wife looked the way she does now thirty years ago. Then I remember that while we were growing up, we were also growing older. So don't you worry too much, okay Miss Lucy?"

Lucy nodded. His words could not have been more true.

"Natsu says I still look exactly as I did when we first met," Lucy laughed. "I was seventeen back then. Boy, how time flies, right?"

"Yes indeed, Miss Lucy." Kobe's face turned wistful, remembering pleasant things. "Ah, young love."

Lucy smiled. "No." The sea captain quirked an eyebrow. "We may be young, but our love isn't. We were just... a little slow to admit it."

"At least it didn't take him as long to ask for your hand." Kobe pointed at her ring. "And with a very lovely diamond, I must say."

Their conversation abruptly ended as Natsu suddenly jerked and kicked out in his chair, a pained moan reaching Lucy's ears. Happy jumped at the unexpected movement, his fishing pole almost flying from his grip. Natsu's eyes were wide and his fists jerked out wildly, the beginnings of flame licking his knuckles. Lucy shot to her feet, rushing over to her fiancé, her face betraying her surprise. Grabbing his wrists before he could hurt someone or himself, Lucy spoke softly to him, trying to coax him from sleep as gently as she could. His eyes were half-lidded, still rolled back in his head and lost within his dream.

"Zer…" Natsu's voice was strained. "I will… no!"

"Natsu!" Lucy called in a calm but loud voice. "You need to wake up now. It's just a dream."

Natsu's flailing stopped. Lucy watched as his eyes cleared, his face tinting back to a sickly green. But he was awake, and managed to lift his head up and lock eyes with Lucy. When he saw her worried face, felt her tight grip on his wrists, it wasn't hard to piece two and two together. Slumping back in his chair, he twisted one hand to gently grab her wrist as well.

"Sorry, Luce." He sighed shakily. "That was… weird. Haven't had one of those dreams in a long time."

Lucy let go of one of his wrists and reached up to brush the hair off of his forehead. "Zeref's gone, Natsu. His demons all died with him."

He smiled weakly. "I know, I know. Hard to believe that was three years ago, huh?"

Lucy didn't share his smile. "I thought those dreams stopped a long time ago…"

Natsu groaned as the boat rocked. "They did."

"Do we need to go see Porlyusica when we get back?"

Natsu looked up into her eyes once more, seeing the concern in their brown depths. He reached an arm out to curl around her waist, bringing her in closer.

"I'm fine, Lucy." He pressed his forehead to her shoulder. "It was just one dream."

He could tell his words did little to dissuade her worry - but presently, Natsu was too preoccupied with trying not to barf all over his fiance. Leaping out of the chair, Natsu made for the edge of the ship, just barely making it in time to lose his stomach into the blue water. Lucy and Happy watched him for a moment, then looked to each other. Neither of them sat too well with Natsu's dreams concerning a particular black wizard coming back. It may have been a few years ago, but both of them still remembered the war like it was yesterday - still remembered just how close they had been to losing everything. How close Natsu had been to losing his life and his humanity. They were not pleasant memories.

But, in true Natsu fashion, he had managed to persevere. Not till after the damage had been done. Afterwards, the recovery had been slow and painful for everybody. As with all things, scars eventually healed and everything went back to normal. During that time, both Natsu and Lucy thought long and hard about their feelings and dreams, and had confessed their love for each other. The biggest, longest on-going bet in Fairy Tail was collected that day.

Happy perked his ear at the sound of the reel on his pole buzzing loudly as the line was pulled out. He shook himself out of his thoughts and hopped to his feet, gripping the fishing pole tightly and pulling back on it. Smiling widely, the fur on Happy's tail puffed in excitement. Lucy looked over at the Exceed, seeing him struggling against whatever was on the other end of his line. She welcomed the distraction from her worries.

"Looks like you caught a big one, Happy!"

"Aye…sir!" Happy grunted through gritted teeth as he gave a hefty pull on the pole.

Happy yelped as he was jerked out of his chair, hitting the deck hard. His rod and reel flew off, disappearing into the deep blue water. Lucy and Happy looked out across the sea, a hot stone of unease settling in their stomachs. For a few heartbeats, all was quiet save for the lapping of the water against the boat and Natsu's whimpering. Lucy released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. The years had made her paranoid, it seemed.

A paranoia that proved to be well founded when a large brown fin, taller than the masts of the _Light Chaser_, broke the surface of the water and jetted toward them at alarming speed. Happy screamed as he jumped into Lucy's arms. She could only stare in horror. If its fin was this big, just how large was the rest of the creature?!

Captain Kobe was quick to react, dashing into the small cabin and untying the wheel. With a hard crank of his powerful hands, the boat jerked hard to port. The fishing boat, though small, really was fast, and managed to veer out of the way of the colossal fin just in the knick of time. Natsu received a face full of water as it went by, knocking him back with a splash. The boat rocked violently in the wake of the fin. Lucy watched in horror as the creature descended back below the surface of the water.

"Was that it?" Lucy shouted to the captain.

"Yes, Miss Lucy!" Kobe was frantically spinning the wheel, trying to avoid going in one direction for too long. "That was the Leviathan!"

Lucy cursed under her breath. Her ring of keys was in her hand within a second. Not for the first time, Lucy desperately wished she had Aquarius' key again. But she had other spirits, and her fingers had already closed around the one she wanted without having to look. But she didn't summon them yet. Everybody on board the ship watched and listened, even Natsu had his ears perked from his spot on the deck. Everything seemed quiet, though - like the Leviathan couldn't be bothered with such small prey. Lucy could only hope.

With a large explosion of water, the Leviathan finally reared its head and roared. Similar to an eel, it had a long snake-like body with a conic-shaped head. Its skin was brown and slimy, with a smattering of white flecks along its belly. Its teeth were too big for its mouth, dwarfing the glassy dark eyes on each side of his head. The Leviathan opened its maw and loosed a wavering, high-pitched roar that rattled the bones in Lucy's ears. It towered over the boat, blocking out the sun. A large shadow fell over the _Light Chaser_, the mages on board starring up at the beast in shock.

"So, you finally decided to show yourself," Natsu said with a smirk. He grabbed the rails and began hoisting himself up. "Not as big as I thought you'd be, but I can make do."

Natsu stood tall, his fists raised at his sides. He grinned widely up at the monster as his body naturally dropped low into a fighting stance. Lucy and Happy watched from the side. The white scarf around his waist swayed in the sea breeze.

"Let's go, Happy!" Natsu shouted, taking a confident step forward. "I've got a real fire burning in my-!"

A powerful pulse shocked Natsu's body, cutting off his words and leaving his muscles aching, his guts churning and a tight pain somewhere behind his heart. Natsu gasped in surprise, one hand gripping at his chest as he fell to his knees. A moment later, Lucy appeared at his side, but her words were muffled by the blood pounding through Natsu's head. He growled as another pulse of unbearable pain exploded from his heart and crashed through his limbs. It was as if two shards of glass were grinding against each other, cracking and fracturing and ripping him apart. Natsu tried to concentrate, grasping Lucy's hand in terror.

He knew this pain. Though he had only felt it once before a long time ago, Natsu would never forget what it felt like to have his soul torn to pieces by a curse he didn't even know he had.

"Captain Kobe, get us out of here!" Lucy shouted over Natsu's shoulder.

The boat careened steeply before evening out on a course back towards land. The Leviathan gave chase, just as Lucy had feared. Natsu trembled beneath her hands. What had happened? And why did he look so scared?

A thunderous roar filled the air. Lucy looked up, her eyes widening as a she watched the Leviathan breach the surface of the water, lunging towards the boat and crashing back down to the sea. A harrowing wave, taller than the _Light Chaser_ and gaining more height and speed with every moment, thundered toward the ship. Before a scream could rise in her throat, Lucy wrapped her arms around Natsu and Happy, and hooked her legs around the secured post of the fishing chair. The wave hit hard, nearly jerking Lucy free from her hold on the chair and her companions from her arms. Saltwater filled her nose and stung her eyes. A small eternity passed, then the water finally receded. Lucy gasped for air, her strained lungs sore and screaming. Happy and Natsu gagged on saltwater, horrible coughs racking their bodies. Miraculously, the _Light Chaser_ did not capsize or overflow, but it had stopped moving, stagnant in the frantic currents of the water. Kobe had been ripped away from his steering wheel, coughing up water on the floor of his cabin.

The Leviathan breached the water once more, roaring loudly at the occupants of the boat. Natsu growled again, wincing violently under Lucy.

Natsu peeked up at the beast through the fiery pain that thrummed through his veins. There was no mistaking it, he thought. This feeling, this pain, it was all a reaction he was having to the Leviathan. He didn't know how, and he didn't know why. But if this pain really was his etherious rearing its ugly head once more, then that could only mean one thing.

"Lucy…" Natsu spat out between gritted teeth. "That thing…it's not a normal monster."

Lucy and Happy peered down at Natsu, their eyes practically glowing with fear. "What do you mean?"

"That thing, the Leviathan," Natsu growled. "It's a demon from the Book of Zeref."


	2. We All Fall Down

With a toss of its head, the Leviathan spread its maw wide and roared into the cloudless sky. Natsu cringed, growling through gritted teeth, his eyes squeezed shut as his etherious clawed its way through his chest. The Leviathan's small, beady eyes glinted dully, its growls sending ripples across the surface of the water. Lucy gazed up at the monster with terror. Natsu's words echoed over themselves in her head, but she didn't want to believe them.

"How…how do you know?" Her words were so soft, Natsu almost didn't hear her. "Are you absolutely sure?"

"I don't know how, I just _know_." Natsu forced one eye open, glaring up at the creature. "It's the same feeling from back then. There's no other explanation."

"But that's impossible!" Happy trembled as he clung to Lucy's arm. "All the demons were destroyed when you defeated Zeref!"

Natsu grunted as he staggered to his feet. He couldn't be sure, but it felt like the Leviathan's hungry gaze was focused solely on him. "Apparently this guy didn't get the memo."

Captain Kobe pulled himself up along the door frame of the ship's cabin as the last of the sea water left his lungs in a fit of coughs. He was soaked and his head was buzzing, but he appeared to be fine. The old fisherman had sailed through worse storms in his days, and had seen his fair share of abnormalities as well. This Leviathan, though, was unlike anything he had ever imagined. A thick, almost palpable feeling of doom permeated the atmosphere, freezing the poor man to the deck of his ship. Dread and hopelessness drowned him more than any wave ever could as he looked up at the massive monster.

The Leviathan reared back, coiling like a snake. With its long gray teeth spread wide, it seemed as if the monster meant to swallow the entire ship whole as it threw itself at the small craft. Kobe felt a scream tear from his throat. Closing his eyes, the old captain cowered behind his arms and waited for death.

"Open! Gate of the Lion! Leo!"

A blinding gold light burst though the air, accompanied by a hollow _clang_ and a static noise like wind blowing through a grassy field. A tremendous crash rattled the boat as the Leviathan's teeth clamped onto the bubble of energy surrounding the ship, pushing it through the water but leaving it unscratched. The Leviathan pulled back once again, screeching with frustration. The shield surrounding the boat dropped. Loke stood firm on the deck in front of Lucy and Natsu, his arms raised and fingers splayed wide. Lowering his arms, the spirit glared at the monster over the brims of his dark glasses.

"Are you guys alright?" Loke asked, his hands balled into fists. "I felt a strange power just now."

"We're okay," Lucy sputtered. She certainly didn't _sound_ okay. "But we need to get out of here."

"No."

Lucy snapped her head around to stare at Natsu, but his own gaze was trained on the creature. If he was still in pain, he was hiding it well. His eyes were dark, almost manic with both fear and rage, yet when he spoke, he was calm and controlled.

"We've got to take this thing down and figure out what's going on." Natsu seethed, his voice tight and lips pulling back into a snarl. "I want to know why one of Zeref's demons is still alive and kicking after all these years."

Lucy's brows drew together in concern. "Natsu…"

Loke finally broke his stare-down with the Leviathan to spin toward Natsu in alarm. "That thing is an etherious?"

The Leviathan circled the boat, jostling it with the waves of its wake. The beast snapped its jaws threateningly at them, but remained cautious in the face of this new magic. The boat began to spin slowly. Natsu cursed as dizziness piled itself on top of his nausea and pain.

"That would explain the power I felt," Loke muttered, suddenly wary of the man that his master clung to. "But I thought all of Zeref's books were burned?"

Lucy wedged herself underneath Natsu like a crutch, keeping the dragon slayer on his feet. Happy curled himself around Natsu's leg in his own attempt to help. Kobe, still on his knees, gripped the side of his cabin tightly. The boat spun faster, the crashing of water against the sides of _The Light Chaser_ sending up red flags in Lucy's mind.

"Doesn't matter what we thought, that thing is definitely not burned!" Lucy shouted at the spirit, frustration lacing her words. They were wasting time. "And we're going to die unless you do something!"

Loke turned back to the Leviathan, sneering at the creature. He wasn't exactly fit for aquatic warfare – that was more Aquarius' forte. But her new key was yet to be found, and with his own magic being flexible and powerful, there was really no one else Lucy could have called for. Leaping from the deck of the boat, the leader of the Zodiac plunged into the water, a ball of magic energy already forming at his fingertips. The Regulus Bomb sent an implosion of water skyward as it collided with the body of the serpent. The Leviathan jerked away from the attack, snarling at the spirit. With its circling interrupted, the whirlpool dissipated within a matter of seconds. The beast roared just before it surged beneath the surface of the ocean once again, back to its domain where it had a clear advantage on the Zodiac Spirit. From there, the view of the battle was hidden from the bystanders on the boat.

"He's going to need help." Lucy grasped another key, holding it skyward. "Open! Gate of the Sea Goat! Capricorn!"

With another burst of stars and light, the tall spirit stepped up to Lucy with a short bow. Before he could speak his usual formalities, Lucy thrust an arm out, hand pointed to the cascade of bubbles coming up from the depths of the sea.

"I need you to help Leo distract the Leviathan long enough so we can get out of here!" She spoke quickly and urgently. "But be careful!"

"They don't call me the Sea Goat for nothing, Lady Lucy," was all Capricorn said before he too, jumped into the rolling waves. Lucy would have summoned more spirits to help even the odds, but experience and necessity had taught her that it was better to have fewer spirits fighting with all their strength rather than many spirits fighting with half their strength.

"Lucy, no!" Natsu pleaded, straining against her. "I told you, we need to beat that thing!"

Lucy ignored him, looking over her shoulder back at the Captain. "Kobe! Get us to land!"

It only took the captain a slight moment's hesitation, then he shook himself out of his shock, set his resolve, and climbed to his feet. Grabbing the wheel once again, Kobe groaned as he strained to hold it in one place in order to stop their spinning. When the _Light Chaser_ was once again still on the water, Kobe cranked the wheel hard, turning the boat on a straight course for the closest shoreline. As they left the Leviathan and Lucy's spirits in their wake, Natsu struggled weakly in Lucy's and Happy's grip.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Natsu spat angrily. "Turn around!"

He was not prepared when Lucy suddenly slammed her hands against his chest. Losing his footing, Natsu stumbled till the backs of his knees hit one of the benches on the ship, and landed heavily on his butt. Just as he was about to shoot back to his feet, Lucy stepped up against him, pinning his knees and pushing his shoulders back.

"I'm not letting you anywhere near that thing!" Lucy screamed, her voice cracking. Natsu looked up and froze, his anger quickly fading. She had tears in her eyes. "I won't lose you again! Do you hear me, Natsu Dragneel?!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy cried from where he clung to Natsu's left leg, trying desperately in all his twelve-pound might to weigh down and immobilize the mage. The blue cat sniffled as he too began tearing up, eyes lost within dark memories.

Natsu didn't move. Lucy glared down at him, her eyes pleading despite her effort to remain strong.

"I will not..." Lucy's voice shook as her fingers dug lightly into his skin. "I _can __not_ let you risk your life. You mean too much to me."

Lucy raised one hand up to Natsu's face, her diamond ring glinting in the sun. "We're bonded together, Natsu, by something stronger than friendship. Where ever you go, I go. What ever happens to you happens to the both of us. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

He did. He had been an idiot not to realize it on his own. They weren't kids or teenagers anymore - he couldn't act as recklessly as he used to. He had to be better than that, for her sake.

Sighing, Natsu lifted his free hand and cradled the right side of Lucy's jaw, catching one of her tears with his thumb. His eyes dropped to the scar on her hip. He didn't say anything, but Lucy knew what he was thinking about. When he finally looked up so they were gazing into each other's eyes, Natsu gave her a small smile.

"Okay," he said with a nod. "I'll stay right here."

A shaky breath escaped Lucy's lips. Dropping her head in relief, Lucy leaned back, giving him room to move. Happy loosened his deathgrip on his leg. Sitting up, Natsu groaned as his stomach roiled. It did seem, though, that the farther away they got from the Leviathan, the glass shards behind his heart ground less painfully. His etherious was receding. Maybe it had only been residual magic he had been feeling, and not actually E.N.D. baring his teeth once more. At least, Natsu hoped so.

The _Light Chaser_ had just entered lighter, shallower water when Lucy winced where she sat next to Natsu. She was panting, a thin sheen of sweat on her brow. The stream of magic she had been feeding her spirits was taking its toll. Lucy huffed a sigh, eyes writhe with concern as she looked up at Natsu.

"Loke and Capricorn are back in the Celestial Plane." She peered out over the waves. "I hope they bought us enough time."

Natsu followed her gaze to the ocean, a line of worry between his eyebrows. Focusing on the beat of his heart within his chest, Natsu could feel the effects of the dark magic subside. The memory of pain hurt worse than what he felt right now, but Natsu was doubtful that they were out of the woods just yet. The boat slowed as the sluggish currents of the shallows and the coastal breeze shifted as they neared land. All was quiet, save for the water lapping against the boat and the distant roar of waves crashing on the beach. The sea leading out to the horizon was likewise calm, a brilliant facade for the horrors that lurked beneath. But after a while, the Leviathan had still not returned, and Natsu was beginning to think that just maybe-

"Gah!" Crumpling forward, Natsu cried as his body seized. A spear of pain jerked through him, worse than before. "Damn it! It's coming!"

Even as he spoke the words, the Leviathan broke the surface of the ocean, twisting and writhing in rage a hundred yards off. With blinding speed, the demon coursed toward the tiny boat like a snake over sand. Hundreds of small fresh cuts around its mouth and eyes oozed white with glowing liquid ethernano. It crashed over the waves, and didn't seem like it was thinking about slowing down. The monster was going to ram them, and the small wooden boat didn't stand a chance. Shooting to his feet, Natsu darted for the cabin of the ship on unsteady feet.

"Happy, get Lucy!" He shouted over his shoulder.

Lucy was too late to react as the blue exceed gripped her by the shoulders, snapped his wings open, and carried her high into the air. Shouting desperately after him, Lucy watched as her fiance disappeared inside the Captain's cabin. In the time that it took for Lucy's frantic heart to beat just once, the Leviathan had plowed onto the sandy shoal and into the _Light Chaser_. The boat was overcome by a flurry of water and wet brown skin and teeth. Lucy and Happy could hear the wood splintering from where they hovered in the air. The momentum of the Leviathan was quickly stopped as it ran against the shallow floor. Grinding to a halt in a slimy heap, the beast beached itself just short of land with all of its demonic glory exposed for all to see. Its gills puffed in and out, trying to circulate air and failing. But although it had given up the advantage of deep water, its sheer size and power still presented a danger as the monster thrashed. The boat had been blown to smithereens, leaving no trace or any hint of the fate of the occupants left behind.

"Natsu!" Lucy wailed, tears brimming in her wide eyes. Clapping her hands over her mouth, feeling her engagement ring rub against her lip, Lucy tried not to assume the worst. He couldn't be gone, Lucy thought. There was no way. This couldn't be happening…

"Lucy, look!" Happy's eyes were locked onto a point on the water, off to the side but still dangerously close to the splashing creature. Lucy watched the familiar head of pink hair breach the water. Her relief was so potent, more tears sprung to her eyes.

Natsu grimaced as he tread water, his face bobbing just above the surface. He could touch the bottom, but the water was still too deep to properly stand. There were small cuts on his forehead and jaw, but he seemed okay. Kobe was next to him, spluttering as he too treaded water, also bleeding from a scratch across his ear. The poor Captain hadn't been expecting to be picked up bridal style and carried overboard moments before his precious boat had been destroyed. Nevertheless, he was thankful to the mage for saving his life. Both Natsu and Kobe quickly waded toward shallower depths. There the two men fell into the knee-deep water, gasping and spluttering.

Panting and trembling, Natsu coughed as he heard Lucy and Happy shout his name from the sky. Although his motion sickness was no more – and he was very grateful for that – the dark energy within him was so potent that Natsu couldn't even differentiate between it and his own magic. The amount of strain he was putting in to keeping it under control only made the pain more difficult to bear. It was hard to stop something from happening when he didn't even know _how_ it was happening. Gritting his teeth, he looked up and across the water to where the Leviathan flopped and jerked, moving slowly but surely toward the mage and the captain across the sandy bottom of the ocean, its weak fins dragging its massive body forward one inch at a time. It snarled at Natsu, beady eyes flashing manically as it heaved itself closer and flung ethernano-blood from its many cuts.

A loud splash drew Natsu's attention briefly away from the monster. Lucy and Happy had landed a little ways away from him. His fiancé waded toward him as fast as she could. The ripping in Natsu's heart made him choke, reminding him that the Leviathan wasn't the only danger in the water.

"Stop!" Natsu rasped as he threw up a hand. "Don't come any closer!"

Thankfully, both Happy and Lucy listened, halting just several feet away. Natsu grunted as he pushed himself to his feet and faced the Leviathan once more. Sweat and salt water dripped down his face, stinging his eyes and the cuts on his face. If this kept up any longer, he was going to be torn apart from the inside out. The Leviathan was surging closer, now only a few yards away. Kobe had backwards crawled through the water until he bumped into Lucy's knees. The poor fisherman was scared out of his wits. Lucy and Happy stood their ground, but Natsu could tell that they also wanted to run.

There was no time to think. With his own magic contaminated, mixing with the etherious coursing through his veins, Natsu fully realized the danger he was putting himself in if he fought. But there was no other choice, and as much as he hated to admit it, he was barely hanging on by his fingertips as it was. Even now, he could feel the etherious seeping into his consciousness, the rage and mindless drive to destroy smashing against his will. It was weak, though – only a fraction of the power he had dealt with three years ago. However, it was still more than enough to take down the monster. If he was going to fall, then he was going to take the Leviathan with him.

Natsu cursed, untying the white scarf from around his waist and balling it up. Turning to Lucy, he tossed it to her. She snatched it out of the air, quirking an eyebrow in confusion.

"Hold onto that for me." He was smiling, but his voice told Lucy that something was very wrong. "I'll be right back. I swear."

With that, Natsu turned and waded toward the snapping maw of the Leviathan. The beast roared, waves of water splashing loudly as it tossed its head. Lucy stared after him, she and Happy helpless to do anything but watch.

He summoned his raw magic. The wild etherious rose with it. Natsu's head snapped sharply to the side, a muscle in his neck spasming out of his control. A growl slipped between his teeth. He started running, picking up speed quickly even in the knee-deep water. The Leviathan screeched and thrashed in anticipation, its large teeth shining. It was only when the first flames flared up from Natsu's fingertips, up his arms and across his shoulders – flames that were tinged with _black_ – that Lucy realized what he was about to do. Terror struck her like a lightning bolt.

"Natsu, don't!" Her legs started moving. "Na-!"

She was jerked to a stop by a firm grip on her arm. She whirled to see Captain Kobe holding fast, Happy captured in his other arm. The small cat clawed and kicked at his flesh, but he held tight.

"I can't let you go, Miss Lucy," he said, voice soft and sincere. "You won't make it."

"You don't understand!" Lucy yanked against his grip. "I have to stop him, or else he'll-!"

The Leviathan roared. Lucy turned. Her breathing stopped along with her heart.

Natsu's entire body was encased in black-laced flames, shining like a dark star. His arms were charred and black - the fire that he commanded was_ burning_ him. An unmistakable and powerful feeling of malice permeated the air. Lucy's stomach dropped as her last threads of hope were cut. She had thought she would never see her best friend… the love of her life like this again.

The ocean water boiled around him as Natsu sprinted headlong through the sea, toward the twisting Leviathan. The monster raised up to meet him, its mouth spread wide with an ear-splitting roar cracking like thunder. Natsu jumped, one fist balled and swelling with demonic flames as he soared toward the monster's head. His mouth opened wide, releasing his own chilling, beastly roar. Just before the teeth of the Leviathan could snap shut around him, Natsu thrust his fist forward, blasting an inferno down the creature's throat. The Leviathan's body jerked as its insides were lit up. Its brown, slimy skin split apart along its hide, spewing fire and black smoke. Lucy could feel the heat of the flames from where she stood several yards away. She wanted to look away, but the carnage was too captivating.

The black flames burned everything they touched, rendering all to ashes. The firestorm Natsu had created broke the Leviathan apart within a column of fire reaching the sky. The dark flames were so bright, they dimmed the sun. Even the water burned, quickly filling the air with thick, salty steam. Lucy brought up an arm to cover her face. For a few painstaking seconds, the only things she heard were the death cries of the Leviathan, the sizzling of flesh and water, and the roar of the demonic flames. A terrible symphony of pain and despair.

But then everything went quiet as the grave.

Lucy lowered her arm and cast her eyes around the steamy sea, trying to listen above the sound of her frantic heart and breathing. Fear for what she might find almost kept her from stepping forward, out of Kobe's relaxed grip on her arm. But she had to know if Natsu was okay. She had to find him.

Lucy didn't know when she started running, her feet splashing loudly through the water. She was vaguely aware of Happy flying beside her, just barely skimming over the surface of the water. The farther she waded in the direction that Natsu had been, the closer she came to the verge of tears.

"Natsu!" Her call echoed hollowly in the steamy atmosphere, and went unanswered. "Natsu!"

There was a splash. Lucy and Happy stopped and spun toward the sound, peering through the dissipating steam to the familiar outline taking shape. Lucy gasped and clutched the scarf tighter, almost not believing her eyes.

"Lucy…"

Natsu stumbled out of the steam. There were no more flames, dark or light, and the man's overall physique seemed unharmed. His head was hung from exhaustion and he moved slowly. Lucy and Happy watched him with small, hopeful smiles on their faces. But something still felt… _off._ He was moving to slowly, not speaking as much as he usually would. Lucy stood here ground, despite the quivering in her gut that told her she was a rabbit being cornered by a fox. Natsu stepped out of the steam, revealing himself for Happy and Lucy to see. Their smiles quickly disappeared.

The black charring on his hands was still there. Veins bulged under his skin. His breathing was ragged. The blood oozing out of the cuts on his forehead and jaw glowed ever so slightly with ethernano. When Natsu raised his head to look at Lucy and Happy, his irises were small black dots peering out at them from his shadowed face, dangerously manic and wild.

Lucy took an unconscious step back, tears of grief finally falling. "No…"

Natsu's black clawed fingers twitched, his teeth grinding hard as he fought to regain control. He was losing.

"Lucy… Happy…" His voice was tight and raspy when he spoke.

Happy was behind Lucy, his trembling paws touching her softly in preparation to take off once again. It wouldn't matter how far he flew. E.N.D. would find them. Natsu grunted as a muscle spasmed in his neck, jerking his head once more. His eyes rose back up to the girl and cat, both shaking with fear.

"Run."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliff hanger! Let me know what you guys think is going on!


	3. Home Again, Home Again

The air burned as he struggled to draw breath. A small whine forced its way out through his teeth with each puff. Natsu tried to focus, but it was taking all of his concentration to simply stay still, to keep himself from becoming the burning, howling rage that he feared. The black char on his hands cracked apart when his fingers twitched, the jagged gaps glowing like raw magma. Small tongues of black flame rose up from his skin before flickering out into dark smoke, shrouding his form in ethereal darkness.

Lucy's breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding in her ears. Happy's paws still rested against her back, trembling. Or maybe it was her that was trembling. Neither of them knew what to do as they watched Natsu. His muscles seized violently beneath his skin. His swim shorts were tattered and singed. Where the flames licked his skin, bright red burns were left behind. Mavis help her, Lucy pleaded. He looked like he was in so much pain.

"I told you… to run!" A small roar threaded within Natsu's voice. Keeling over, clawed hands shot up to grab fistfuls of his pink hair as he screamed through his teeth, eyes shut tight.

Lucy and Happy could feel the heat radiating off of him through the air and the water, but goosebumps dotted her skin. It felt like she couldn't breathe, her throat sore and tight and packed with iron wool. She couldn't leave him, Lucy realized, not like this. Not when he needed her most. Lucy took one step forward, and then another, moving out from under Happy's paws and slowly wading through the steamy atmosphere. The small cat started at her actions, gently but urgently calling her name. Lucy approached Natsu slowly, pausing every time he tossed himself from one side to the other. With each step that drew her nearer, the scar on her hip began to tingle, as if remembering.

White scarf grasped in one hand, Lucy stopped just inside of Natsu's arm reach and extend the other shaking hand. Her fingers had just barely parted his hair, small pinpricks of heat biting her skin, when Natsu shot up to his full height. A growl rumbled from low in his chest, his lips curled back over his teeth in a feral frown. But he didn't attack, didn't move, and didn't hurt her. He simply glared down at her with eyes that were not his own. If Natsu wasn't already lost, he would be soon.

Lucy, encompassed in a heat that was just a touch above uncomfortable, held still, gazing back up at him. Happy watched from where he hovered above the ocean water, not sure what else he could do _but_ watch. This was something only Lucy could do, he knew that. Happy and Natsu loved each other, there was no doubt. But Lucy was on a whole different level with him - their love could be classified as a magic in its own. However, Happy couldn't help but think that if something were to happen to Lucy in this moment, Natsu would never forgive himself.

Hesitant at first, Lucy reached up with her free hand. "Natsu." He growled louder at the word. "It's okay. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

Her fingers touched the line of his jaw.

In a flash of dark fire, Natsu's hands combusted into flames and swung up at Lucy's head from both sides. Happy cried out, his eyes squeezing shut as he waited for Lucy's scream. No scream ever came. The little blue cat blinked his eyes open, staring in amazement. Fingers spread out and curved like deadly hooks, the etherious fire engulfing his hands flared brightly as they hovered next to Lucy's ears, singeing her stray hairs. Natsu had managed to stop himself from killing her, if only just so. His trembling had stepped up to full-blown shaking, small choking sounds replacing growls as Natsu fought with every fiber of his being to overcome himself once again.

Lucy, unfazed by the near-fatal attack, simply continued to look deep into his eyes, refusing to break gazes until his were a familiar dark shade of green once more. Gently, Lucy slid her hand from his jaw back behind his head. Happy watched as Lucy deftly threaded the white scarf around both of their necks. It was only long enough to loop once, and Lucy had to step closer to her fiancé to make it work. So close, that when she leaned forward to touch her forehead to his, she was almost pressed up against him. The same dark fire that spat from his hands now kissed her skin - but she wasn't worried. Natsu's flames would never hurt her.

"Come back to me, my love," Lucy said softly, her voice steady as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You promised you would."

Small sounds reached her ears, and at first Lucy thought that Natsu was hissing. But when she opened her eyes, she saw that the man was actually crying, small tears glistening in his eyes. He was on the verge, Lucy realized, and all he needed was one more push.

"I will never leave you," Lucy gulped as her throat suddenly tightened again. "I love you, Natsu."

The flames flickered out. Natsu gasped, as if some great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. With the glow quickly fading, the black char on his hands cracked apart and fell away, restoring the secure and calloused hands of the dragon slayer. Though his shaking had stopped, the entire ordeal left Natsu extremely exhausted. Arms dropping onto Lucy's shoulders, the woman just barely managed to catch him in time to keep him from falling face first into the sea. Sinking down with him, Lucy and Natsu knelt in the knee-deep water. Happy fluttered over, watching over Lucy's shoulder as Natsu took deep gulps of air. When he finally managed to look up at her, his eyes were sad. Tears still sat trapped on his eyelashes.

"I could have killed you." The pain laced within Natsu's voice was so strong, it was like his words punched Lucy in the gut. But she was so glad to hear his voice, see his eyes, feel his hands.

Lunging forward, Lucy closed the gap between their faces in a desperate kiss. The tears on his cheeks coerced Lucy's own to once again resurface. Natsu pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. Happy huffed a sigh of relief as he rested himself upon Natsu's shoulder, nuzzling his face into the scarf around his and Lucy's necks. Natsu pulled away from Lucy, his blistered hands cradling both sides of her face as he took her in. His eyebrows were arched up in sadness, dark thoughts swimming behind his eyes.

"If anything ever happened to you… because of _me_." He shook his head slightly. "Please, Lucy, I beg you. Don't ever do that again."

"Only if you swear to me," Lucy breathed. "That _this_ will never happen again."

Natsu gazed down at her, not sure what to say. She and Happy were the two most important people in his life. He would move mountains and dry up seas to keep them safe, and hunt down anyone or anything that caused them harm to the ends of the earth. But what was he supposed to do when it had been _him_ who had done the damage? Both of them were looking at him, mixed feeling of relief, joy, and fear playing on their faces. Realizing that no words could ever convey how sorry he was for making them worry so much, Natsu simply embraced them both, planting a kiss to Lucy's hair.

The truth of the matter was that Natsu was scared too, because he couldn't do what Lucy wanted. He couldn't guarantee that this would never happen again. The etherious within him had been completely undetectable before encountering the Leviathan. Natsu had truly believed that it was gone – but now…

He could still feel it. Incredibly weak, and almost non-existent, but definitely there, waiting behind his heart.

Natsu didn't say anything. He released a shuddering sigh as his arms closed tighter over Lucy and Happy. For a long while, the three of them sat in the waters of the sea, the steam dissipating and allowing the sun to shine once more. No one spoke as their tears dried, thoughts filled with the events of the past hour, and a silent pondering as to what it all meant.

* * *

After meeting with Captain Kobe on shore, the four of them walked along the beach back to Gladrindale. Apart from Kobe thanking them profusely for slaying the Leviathan, it was a silent journey. The trek took up the better part of the day, and when they finally entered the small fishing village, the sun was an hour or so from setting. Lucy, Natsu, and Happy apologized for the destruction of the _Light Chaser_, knowing full well that it meant that the fisherman was semi-permanently out of work. Kobe was good-natured about it, though, and insisted that it wasn't their fault and that he had considered something like that happening when he had volunteered to help with the job. This did little to dissuade the guilt that they all felt. Between the three of them, they all silently came to the same decision as they parted ways with the boatless captain, no doubt eager to return home to his worried wife.

Changing back into their civilian clothes, the group of mages had one more matter of business to take care of; meeting with the Mayor of Gladrindale. The tall fat man was beside himself with gratitude, congratulating them on such a difficult accomplishment and even offering to double their reward money. Lucy smiled and thanked him in return for the generous offer, but insisted that the mayor give the money to Kobe, so that he may buy materials to build a new boat. The man had been unspeakably brave after all, and he deserved to continue his life unhindered now that things would be returning to normal. It wasn't like Lucy payed rent anymore, she had said with a smile towards Natsu. The Mayor grinned and accepted her terms, completely agreeing that the fisherman fully deserved it.

They decided not to stay in Gladrindale, and instead took the night train back to Magnolia. Natsu's usual reluctance towards transportation was over-powered by the urge to return home and sleep in his own bed. He spent the majority of the five-hour train ride sprawled out on the seat bench, face pressed into the cushion. Lucy and Happy dozed as well, but mostly they sat in silence and watched Natsu.

"I'm taking him to see Porlyusica tomorrow." Lucy finally murmured.

Happy sighed and nodded. "I think that's a good idea."

There was a lull of silence before Lucy spoke again.

"What happened, Happy?" Her voice was low, though the train was nearly empty and Natsu didn't seem to be listening. "I thought E.N.D.'s book was burned?"

Happy considered her words, thinking something along the same lines. "It was. We were all there. We saw Zeref go down, and the book crumbled to ashes. And then…" The exceed shuddered at the unpleasant memory. "I don't know, Lucy. Maybe the book wasn't the only thing making him an etherious?"

Lucy shook her head. "It doesn't seem likely. Mavis told us that the books Zeref created were the physical manifestation of the etherious' power. Since all the demons he created are pure ethernano, except for Natsu, destroying the book destroys the demon." Lucy bit her lip. "And as far as I know there are only two ways to destroy Zeref's books; defeating the demon, or defeating Zeref."

Lucy and Happy absorbed her words in a span of silence. A frown curved out of Happy's mouth as a horrible thought entered his head.

"Lucy…" He was almost afraid to say his mind out loud, as if that might somehow make it true. "You don't think that Zeref could still be… _alive_, somehow, do you?"

Lucy didn't say anything. She didn't want to consider that option, but the truth was that she already had. If the black wizard was still alive after all these years, then he would have made himself known, right? The Leviathan had appeared around four months ago out of nowhere. Demons from the Books of Zeref don't just pop up, especially after their maker was presumed dead. So what had happened? Why now? And what did it mean for Natsu? These questions and countless more swirled in Lucy's head as she stared at the man on the bench across from her. She had a bad feeling that whatever had happened today on the ocean wasn't over yet.

The train pulled into Magnolia Station about a quarter to midnight. The streets were quiet as the group made their way through the city and out to the rural path that lead straight up to their house. Natsu and Lucy walked hand in hand, his thumb gently stroking circles on top of her knuckles. When they finally walked through the front door, everyone was tired and hungry, but it felt extremely good to be home.

Lucy had officially moved in with Natsu and Happy about a year ago, combining his house with her furniture. They had expanded it slightly, adding another compartment to the back side of the house that would become their bedroom so they wouldn't have to sleep in the living room. They had built it together, and was their proudest accomplishment thus far. A small yellow wooden star with her name on it was added to the sign hanging in front of the house. Living together had started off rather rocky, what with Lucy having a lot of stuff for a small house and Natsu having a loose understanding of the word 'tidy'.

Fortunately, both of them had similar methods of conflict resolution. Unfortunately, those methods involved throwing things and loud voices, which devolved into wrestling on the floor.

Which then turned into make-up sex, and resulted in compromise. They made it work.

Lucy had given up a few things to make room, and Natsu began to pick up after himself more. The house became a home, and they grew up together. The final step of the plan was to grow old together.

As hungry as they were, nobody was willing to cook so late at night, so everybody went to bed with empty stomachs. Natsu and Lucy shuffled through the kitchen to their bedroom while Happy fluttered up to his roost on one of the branches of the tree that grew through the house. The small blue cat was out before he could completely curl up in his nest.

As they entered their room, Lucy sighed heavily as she sat down on the bed and stretched her arms over her head. Her bones were weary from the abnormally long and unexpected day. Exhausted – as well as emotionally drained – all Lucy wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep for half a day. She was starting to pull the covers back from the bed when she realized that Natsu hadn't joined her on the bed. Looking up, Lucy saw that he was still standing in the doorway, eyes cast to the floor. His forlorn expression was dimly lit by the fist-sized lacrima sitting on the bedside table. Lucy put the blankets back down and turned to sit so she was facing Natsu, waiting for him to speak first. It took several moments of silence before he did.

"I wouldn't blame you if you preferred I sleep on the couch tonight," he mumbled, not meeting her gaze.

Lucy wasn't sure what to say at first. "I guess that's up to you, but… I kinda don't want to be alone right now. I don't want you to be alone either."

The relief that washed over Natsu's face surprised Lucy. Natsu walked over to the other side of the bed and sat, drawing his legs up to sit cross-legged on the blankets. One hand ran through his hair as he huffed a laugh through his nose. His hands, though still red and tender, were no longer blistered. Burn wounds always healed quickly for Natsu. The dark circles under his eyes did not escape Lucy's attention.

"Nice to know I haven't scared you away." He looked up into Lucy's eyes. She smiled back at him. The smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Do you really think you can scare me off so easily?" Lucy joked. "You know I'm not going anywhere. Not till after we get married."

Natsu smirked. The light-hearted moment was very short-lived. The dragon slayer looked like he wanted nothing more in the world than to flop over and go to sleep. But Lucy could tell that he had something he wanted to say.

"It's all I've been thinking about," Natsu spoke softly. "Today, I mean. Why it happened, what it means… None of the answers I could think of point to anything good."

Lucy put her hand on top of his. Her skin was soft and cool against his.

"I think it would be best if we wait to think about those things till morning. Besides, you seem okay now." Lucy just barely felt him tense beneath her. "Right?"

Natsu hesitated just the slightest. A red flag immediately went up in Lucy's head. But before she could speak on it, Natsu was beaming at her and clasping her hand.

"I'll be okay for now, I promise." With that, he yawned widely, showing his pointed teeth. "Are you going to be okay?"

Lucy grinned back at him, raising a hand to his face and touching the bandage covering the cut on his jaw. "I hope that doesn't scar. You don't need a matching one." Her eyes drifted to the three-year old scar on the other side of his face.

Natsu stuck his tongue in his cheek, pressing against Lucy's finger. Laughing at her irked expression, Natsu flopped over and nuzzled his head against his pillow. "I'll have Wendy make it like new when we stop by the guild tomorrow. Let's go to bed." He patted the spot on the mattress next to him invitingly.

Lucy grinned and nodded. When they were both settled under the blankets, Lucy reached over and tapped a finger against the lacrima, putting out the light. Darkness enveloped the room, save for the dim starlight shining through the window. Though they couldn't see each other, Natsu and Lucy easily shifted to fit next to each other like a practiced habit. He looped one arm around her as she curled up against his side, her head and fingers resting on his chest. It wasn't long before their breathing was in sync and their hearts beat in tandem.

"Hey, Luce?" Natsu's gruff voice cut through the silence. "Did I ever tell you that Igneel used to sing me to sleep?"

He felt Lucy nod against his chest. "On the nights that you couldn't sleep. You taught me the lullaby. What made you think of that?"

Natsu gave a small shrug. "I don't know." He turned his head and planted a kiss into her hair. "Just popped into my head all of a sudden."

* * *

They all slept in well past dawn the next morning. It was hard for Lucy to wake up, her mind fuzzy and tight, like her skull was packed full of cotton. When she slipped out of bed, Natsu was still sawing logs. One shower and beauty routine later, Lucy stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed and light. The dull ache of lingering exhaustion between her ears remained, though. If she wasn't careful, she was going to get a head cold. Natsu had gotten up and was already cooking breakfast. The tangy smell of spices and herbs infused the air with a peppery taste that made Lucy's mouth water. Happy had climbed down from his perch and was pouring out three glasses of orange juice on the small table in the corner of the kitchen. Lucy was grateful for the extra vitamins.

Lucy stepped up behind Natsu, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her chin on his shoulder. One of his hands came up to hold hers while the other carefully manipulated the spatula to flip eggs over the stuffings of peppers, herbs, and seasoned meat. Craning his head around, Natsu pecked a quick kiss to Lucy's cheek, muttering a "good morning" to her. Lucy hummed in response, then disentangled herself to prepare their usual bowl of fruit.

After they had eaten, the three mages prepared for the day and headed out the door. It was a sunny day in Magnolia, the spring air just a touch above cool at the perfect temperature for light clothing. While walking to the guild, Lucy informed Natsu that they were going to see Porlyusica. She had been expecting retaliation, since her fiancé and the old witch got along about as well as oil on water. But Natsu simply groaned and nodded in agreement. After all, he wanted to know what had happened, too.

Even to this day, Lucy always felt a small sense of hope whenever she saw the Fairy Tail guild again when returning from a job. Like she had been gone for a long time and was finally coming back home. For as many times as it had been destroyed and built back up again, as much as she knew the building and it's people inside and out, she still felt like she had on that first day when Natsu had brought her to Magnolia and she had laid eyes on it for the first time. Stepping through the doors was still exciting, seeing the other members was still thrilling. It was one aspect of her life that she hadn't grown tired of, and hoped that she never would.

"Welcome back!" Mirajane called from behind the bar. The Take-Over mage hadn't changed much in the past three years. Most days now, she chose to wear her white hair in a braid over her shoulder. She smiled brightly at the three. "How was Gladrindale?"

Lucy looked to to Natsu, and he to her. Stepping up to Mira, Lucy lowered her voice.

"Actually Mira, we were hoping to speak to the master. Is he in?" She leaned over the bar, practically whispering. "It's kind of urgent."

Mira cocked an eyebrow, but didn't drop her smile. "Yes, he's here. He's in his office. Freed? Can you watch the bar for me?"

Freed, who was already placed behind the bar and was busy polishing glasses, raised his chin at the woman. Mira lead them through the guild toward the back corner, toward the Master's office. It was the quietest location in the guild, which wasn't saying a whole lot considering how boisterous the members could be. Mirajane knocked on the door, opening it at the gruff response from the other side.

"Master?" She poked her head in. "Natsu, Lucy, and Happy are back."

Mira opened the door fully and allowed them all to step inside. Lucy looked across the desk cluttered with paperwork to the high-backed chair facing the window. It was only when the door was closed again and Mira had gone to stand to one side of the desk that the master finally spoke.

"So, Natsu, I guess you managed _not_ to destroy half a town this time, due to the lack of complaints I've received." Laxus spun around in his chair, grinning at the other dragon slayer. "I gotta say, I'm almost disappointed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda forgot that I started posting this story here. Whoops! Next chapter shouldn't take as long.


	4. With Friends Like These

Laxus was a man who prided himself for being prepared, for facing the obstacles that life threw at him with poise and cunning. He was not accustomed to being surprised. There had only been a few times in Laxus' life to date where he had been completely caught off-guard. The most recent one had been a little more than three years ago, when the guild of Fairy Tail had unanimously voted to elect him as the ninth master. The last thing he had expected was the encouragement and support he had received after initially turning down the position. He had thought that someone like Erza or Mirajane – or hell, even Lucy – would be better suited for the job. But everybody was adamant about him succeeding his grandfather. Ultimately, it had been Natsu that had talked him into it.

That had been the good kind of surprise. This was the bad kind.

Lucy had done most of the talking, while Laxus stared sternly at Natsu. The other man was silent, his eyes dropped to floor deep in thought. Mira stood by his, taking in Lucy's words. To say that the Take-Over mage looked shocked would be a massive understatement. She and Laxus already knew all about Natsu's... circumstances, but the news of the Leviathan and what it meant was more than troubling. Lucy drew her story to an uncertain close, and the guild master released a heavy breath.

"I see. Just when I thought it was starting to get boring around here," Laxus sighed. "Are you alright at least, Natsu?"

Natsu looked up at Laxus, taking in the Master's cocked eyebrow and set jaw. "Yeah, I'm okay now."

"Thank goodness," Mira breathed. "I never would have thought that one of Zeref's demons could still be around after all this time."

"Or that it would have such an adverse effect on you." Laxus clasped his hands under his chin as he leaned back in his chair. "The Leviathan's own etherious must have reawakened yours for some reason. But I guess the real question is, where the hell did that thing come from?"

Natsu rolled his eyes. "It's gone now. As long as another doesn't pop up, I should be good, right?"

"That's entirely it, though, Natsu," Lucy spoke softly, leaning forward to catch his gaze. "What if there _are_ more out there? If one demon was able to survive without Zeref, then who's to say there aren't others?"

"Just one was bad enough," Happy said from where he sat on Lucy's lap.

"Then we take them down, obviously." Natsu spread his hands, feigning nonchalance. "There are plenty of wizards in this guild capable of defeating Zeref's demons besides me!"

"Damn it Natsu, this is serious." Laxus abruptly stood from his chair, hands planted heavily on his desk. "What if the next demon that awakens is _you_?"

Natsu stiffened, the dark energy behind his heart stirring like it knew it was being talked about. Laxus glared down at Natsu with wide, challenging eyes. Lucy, Mira, and Happy watched in silence, the tension in the air rising. Natsu said nothing, leveling his own stare back at the other dragon slayer. After a few slow moments, Laxus sighed once more and turned to Mira.

"Tell Freed that I'm going to visit gramps soon, and that he's free to come along."

"You know he will." Mira smiled gently.

"As for you three," he said as he turned back to the other mages. "I'm going with you to see Porlyusica. I won't be too long, so try not to get into too much trouble in the meantime. I expect that you'll agree with me that we keep this whole demon thing under wraps for now, at least until we get a better idea of what's going on."

With that, everyone stood and exited the Master's office. Lucy sidled up to Natsu as Happy jumped down from her lap. She nudged him gently with her shoulder, her expression clearly asking him if he was okay. Natsu smiled back in return, his hand automatically finding hers as they entered the main guild hall. As they left the quiet seclusion of the office and entered the bustling atmosphere of the guild, Lucy, Natsu, and Happy walked with Mirajane back to the bar where she approached Freed with Laxus' message. Ever since Laxus became guild leader, the Thunder Legion had all stepped up in various ways to assist him. But none more so than Freed, who went directly to Mirajane and all but begged her to teach him how to serve Laxus just as she had served Makarov. Now, he worked the bar and ran administrative and financial services when Mira was busy. At first, it was strange seeing him where one would normally see Mira, but overtime it became common place.

Natsu paused before taking a seat, eyes catching on someone across the room. Standing tall, Natsu shouted out and waved his hand in the air.

"Hey! Wendy!"

From across the hall, the young dragon slayer looked up, face lighting up at the sight of Natsu and Lucy. Next to her, Carla stood up from her spot on the table to join Wendy as she crossed the hall.

It was amazing how much Wendy had grown in the span of three short years. She was becoming a fine young woman. Tall and slender, and still unfathomably kind. Her use of her magic had also strengthened, and now she was a Dragon Slayer with as much might as Natsu and Gajeel. She had even developed a way to make her Troia spell effective on Natsu once more, if only for a short period of time. Her face was now sharp angles and striking features, losing her childish looks. As Wendy entered her late teens, she was already well on her way to becoming a powerful and beautiful mage.

"Lucy, Natsu! Welcome back!" Wendy embraced Lucy with a giggle. Turning to Natsu, she stopped at the bandages on his face. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Natsu shrugged. "The boat exploded."

"Exploded?!" Wendy gaped at him.

"I don't know why you're surprised. Seems pretty typical to me." Carla smirked. She turned to her blue counterpart. "Did you get a chance to practice your transformation, Happy?"

Happy scratched the back of his head, smiling apologetically at Carla. "Things got a little hectic, you could say. I was more concentrated on staying alive!"

Natsu grunted and rolled his eyes.

"Let me get those for you," Wendy said, reaching one hand up to Natsu's face. "If it scars, it'll look like you have whiskers."

"That's what I said." Lucy elbowed Natsu's arm playfully. Natsu smiled suggestively at her.

"Don't pretend you don't think my scars are cool." He leaned closer to her. "Isn't that why you're always biting me on my-"

A quick finger sharply to his ribs shut his mouth quickly. Natsu crumpled on his bar stool and groaned.

"Anyway," Lucy turned back to Wendy, her voice tight with irritation. "Yes, we would love for you take care of those."

It took less than ten seconds. Natsu discarded the bandages and scratched the new skin.

"Feels like I've got a brand new face!" Natsu laughed.

A sudden draft from outside and the loud clang of the front door opening drew everyone's attention. Laxus and Freed had just stepped out, no doubt heading for Kardia Cathedral. Freed was carrying a small bouquet of flowers.

"It's nice to see Laxus taking time to honor Makarov. Kind of makes it seem like he's still here." Carla mused.

"Maybe we should pay a visit to Master, too." Lucy whispered, a sad smile on her face.

Wendy nodded. "It's been a while since I've gone as well. It'd be nice to pay my respects."

"We already are."

His words had everyone turning to Natsu, but his gaze was turned up, taking in the wooden rafters of the guild and the sunlight pouring in through the skylights. The oh-so familiar ambiance of the Fairy Tail building had come to mean something else to those members that had been part of the war. Though there had been much grief and anger following the conclusion of the invasion, the guild had also served as a sanctuary for its children – a place where they could all heal and overcome their sadness. There wasn't a single veteran that didn't have Makarov's last words echoed into their hearts. New members didn't fully understand just how special the legacy they carried on their shoulders was, but that was part of the eternal mystery that Makarov and Mavis had envisioned for the guild. No one ever forgot that.

Natsu nodded once in finality, smiling at his fiancé and the other dragon slayer.

"We don't have to go to church to see Gramps. He's right here."

"Spoken like a true bonehead."

Natsu growled, snapping his head toward the offending remark. "Shut up, Gray!"

Gray grinned mischievously as he approached the bar, leaning against the aged wood. "Save all that mushy crap for your wedding day, eh Natsu?"

Natsu tipped his chin up, a sneer on his lips. "You're about to get yourself uninvited."

Gray crossed his muscular arms, grin never wavering. "I'm pretty sure the bride is the one who makes that choice, am I right, Lucy?"

"As long as you keep your beard trimmed and remember to wear clothes, I have no problem with it."

Gray stroked the dark hairs on his chin. "I'm not making any promises."

"You guys picked a date?!" Wendy gasped.

"No." Lucy leaned toward the younger woman, speaking softly in mock secrecy. "We can't settle on a date until _someone_ decides who they want their best man to be!"

"I don't know why you're waiting on me to pick." Natsu crossed his arms and scowled. "I also don't see why I even need one to begin with!"

Lucy sighed. "We can't send out invitations to our friends in other guilds till we pick a date, and we can't pick a date till the wedding party had been decided. You had one job, Natsu, and you're slacking."

"I can be my own best man, dammit!"

"Quite being such a baby and ask me already." Gray sneered. "I'm dying for the opportunity to turn you down."

Natsu scowled. "That's exactly why I'm not asking you, perv."

"Don't listen to him, Natsu." Juvia interjected, walking up behind Gray, grocery bags in her arms. She placed them on the bar, leaning backwards so she could smile at Natsu. "Despite what he says, Gray would love to be your best man. He told me himself. Isn't that right, darling?"

Gray puckered his lips in thought as Juvia stepped up beside him. "That's not exactly how I worded it. You finish running errands for Mirajane?"

"Mhm." Juvia nodded. Juvia took her hair out of it's pony tail, letting her wavy blue hair fall around her shoulders. "I also stopped by your place and grabbed that shirt you forgot to put on this morning."

Gray jumped, just now realizing that he was in fact shirtless. Taking the garment offered by Juvia with a sheepish grin, Gray wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her an affectionate squeeze.

"Thank you. I really appreciate that."

Juvia beamed and laid her head on Gray's shoulder. About two weeks after the war, Gray had taken Juvia away from the guild up to the lake within the mountains. There, he had finally given her his answer. While the Ice-Make mage had admitted that he wasn't sure if he was really _in love_ with Juvia, he did confess that the two of them had been through so much together, good and bad times, that he did feel _something_ – and that he was willing to meet her halfway because of that. It might not have been exactly what Juvia had wanted to hear, but nevertheless, she couldn't have been happier. The two of them have been going steady ever since.

"So does that mean that you've chosen someone to be your maid of honor, Lucy?" Carla asked as Gray buttoned up his shirt.

"Yep! And it's going to be a surprise!" Lucy smiled and winked. "Only they know who they are!"

"I'll tell you right now, Carla, that it's not me," Wendy said with a shrug.

"I know who it is," Natsu smirked. Then his expression turned wary. "But I've been… _delicately asked_ not to tell anyone if I want to keep my-"

"Too much information, Natsu." Happy sighed.

"Thanks for getting those groceries for me, Juvia." Mirajane stepped up to the bar and collected the bags. Turning to Natsu and Lucy, she said "I think it would be adorable if Gray was your best man! Nobody knows you better than him, Natsu. Except Lucy of course."

"Yeah. I mean who else are you gonna ask? Gildarts isn't here, Gajeel would rather chew his own foot off, and Elfman…" Gray didn't have to finish, knowing his point was made. Gray stepped up to Natsu, slinging his right arm over Natsu's shoulders. "And who knows? Maybe if you ask me really nicely, I might just-"

Gray gasped suddenly, eyes widening in shock. Snatching his arm back, Gray cradled it close to his body, sucking in quick breaths through his teeth. Natsu cocked an eyebrow, confused by Gray's sudden reaction. Lucy felt a pang of fear in her stomach. Gray said nothing as he looked down at his hand with a startled expression. Juvia approached him and laid a hand on his back, softly calling his name and asking what was wrong. Slowly, Gray shifted his gaze back to Natsu, shock turning to confusion, and finally to suspicion. His hand was curled into a claw, as if Natsu had burned him. Though the sleeves of his shirt covered his arms, Lucy saw a saw a small triangle of dark flesh creep out of the cuff on Gray's wrist. She felt a trickle of dread as she realized what had happened. Mirajane was faster though, and beat her to the punch.

"Lucy!" Mira almost shouted. Everyone turned to her. She was smiling, but the expression was strained, her eyes wide and focused on Lucy's face. "Didn't you tell me you and Natsu had to go pick out a cake today?"

Lucy blinked, realizing that Mira was giving her and Natsu an out. "O-oh! Yes! We do! _Right now! Let's go!_"

Natsu cocked an eyebrow. "Cake? I thought we already-"

"I'm having second thoughts." Lucy spoke quickly as she grabbed Natsu with one hand and snatched Happy off the ground with the other. The blue cat yelped as she hugged him close to her chest and dragged them towards the door. "I just remembered that I had a terrible experience with chocolate once, and I would hate to relive the trauma on my wedding day. Bye everyone! We'll see you later!"

"I'll tell Laxus to meet you!" Mira shouted after them.

The small group of mages watched as Lucy, Natsu, and Happy disappeared out the front doors. Wendy and Carla shared a look.

"What on earthland was that?" Carla said, turning to Mira. "What does Laxus have to do with wedding cake?"

Mira's only response was an uncertain chuckle. Juvia, watching Gray closely, tilted her head at him.

"Gray? Are you alright?" She spoke quietly.

Gray just continued to stare at the front door where Natsu had just left. If Juvia didn't know any better, it would have seemed like Gray was scared. But Juvia did know better, and it shocked her to see that Gray was absolutely _terrified._

"I don't know what just happened," Gray breathed as he met Juvia's eyes. He could feel the tattoo on his arm fade away again, as if it was never there. "But I really hope I'm wrong."

After Lucy had dragged Natsu and Happy a ways down the street and down another, she finally released them, heaving a sigh of relief. That could have quickly turned into a very bad situation. Thank the gods for Mirajane's quick thinking.

"Mind telling me what that was all about?" Natsu crossed his arms. "You love chocolate more than life itself, so I know this isn't about some stupid cake."

Lucy gave him an incredulous look before sighing again.

"I'm such and idiot. Why didn't I think about this sooner?" She mumbled to herself. Lucy straightened and gave Natsu a hard look. "When Gray touched you, I think his Devil Slayer magic must have reacted to you."

Natsu started at that. "Devil Slayer? But he hasn't used that spell in years. I thought it went away after the war."

"I think he did too, judging by the look on his face," Happy chimed in.

Lucy's eyebrows scrunched together in thought. "It can't be a good sign if Gray's power is coming back, especially after what happened with the Leviathan… but I could be wrong, right?"

Natsu didn't respond, thinking about the last time that he and Gray had clashed as demon and demon slayer. He still couldn't remember the entire fight, but he did know that it was bad – the worst fight that they had ever had. If Erza hadn't stopped them, they would have killed each other. Natsu sighed through his nose, resolving then and there that something like that would never happen again in the future. The etherious energy behind his heart quivered, like it was laughing at him.

"Come on," Natsu said, leading the way out of town. "Let's head to Porlyusica's."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried not to make this a usual "here's what everyone looks like now" kind of chapter. Not sure if I succeeded. More characters will be reintroduced in the next couple of chapters as well, but the story must also move forward. 
> 
> As always, read, review, and enjoy!


	5. Trouble in Paradise

"Well, I can't say that there's anything wrong with you," Porlyusica grumbled, looking over at the man sitting on her bed. "Physically or otherwise."

They had arrived at Porlyusica's tree-house to find the Healing mage outside harvesting herbs from her garden. While the older woman had clearly not been expecting guests, she also wasn't completely surprised to see Natsu, Lucy, and Happy. If there was one thing she had learned over the years, it was to _always_ expect a visit from the dragon slayer and his friends. After hearing Lucy explain why they were there, Porlyusica hummed in thought, disappointed that they actually had a good enough reason to seek her out, and that she couldn't chase them away with her broom.

Laxus had shown up in the middle of Natsu's physical without Freed. He was regarded silently by the old woman as he ducked his head to step into her tree-house. Laxus gave her the same treatment. It was their own subtle way of showing each other respect. The deep connection they both shared through Makarov was enough to warrant it. After the war and Makarov's death, Laxuz spent a lot of time out in Lilac Forest, learning what he could from the old witch about the history of the guild and what it meant to be a master of Fairy Tail. Her guidance and support had proven to be invaluable.

"You didn't find anything?" Laxus asked.

Porlyusica shrugged as she hoisted herself to her feet, leaning heavily on the cane that Wendy had made for her about a year ago. The woman had been old before the war, and now it seemed like the years were catching up with her. "It's hard to be sure when I don't even know what I'm looking for. I wasn't able to pick up any demon traces or other malignant entities. I did your bloodwork just to be safe. Everything comes back normal. Well… normal for you, at least."

It was odd, Porlyusica had to admit, that she hadn't been able to find any hint of E.N.D. or other magic within Natsu given what had happened. But his blood hadn't reacted to any of the serums that she used to detect anomalies. Before Natsu's etherious energy had initially awakened, she had been able to sense the demonic power without using any of her instruments or tinctures. It was hard to forget a feeling like that. After the war, there had been trace elements of the dark magic lingering in the young dragon slayer – it had taken him weeks to burn it all out and purify his magic once again. But now… nothing.

"I'll say it again." Porlyusica cast a hard eye to everyone. "I specialize in healing injuries caused by magic. I'm not a doctor. _But_, if I were one, I'd say that you have nothing to worry about, Natsu."

Happy and Lucy exchanged smiles while Laxus huffed a sigh of relief through his nose. Natsu sat forward, propping his elbows onto his knees and resting his chin on his steeped hands, eyes cast to the floor. Though not really the reaction that Porlyusica had been expecting, she couldn't really find it in herself to care. If Natsu wasn't satisfied with her conclusions, that wasn't her fault.

"Now, if that's all you people wanted, please get out of my-"

"Can you do it again?"

Everyone turned to stare at Natsu, who kept his eyes down. Porlyusica's crimson eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I can, but the result will be the same." The old mage stepped up to Natsu, leering over him. She really did not like having her time wasted. "Unless you know something I don't."

Natsu sighed as he took his chin off his hands and pressed his forehead to his knuckles. He knew everyone was watching him, waiting for him to respond. The etherious behind his heart was pressing against his magic hard enough to remind Natsu that it was still there. The fact that Porlyusica hadn't been able to detect it had surprised Natsu. He had hoped that she would be able to explain what was happening to him, and he could pretend to be surprised along with the rest of them. Seeing as that wasn't going to happen, Natsu had no other choice but to come clean. Lucy was going to hate him for lying to her.

"It's still there." Natsu's voice was barely above a whisper. "I can still feel it."

"What on earthland are you talking about, Natsu?" Laxus snapped.

Natsu sat up, slapping his hands against his knees in frustration. "The damn etherious! I can still feel it inside me!"

No one spoke for a while – too stunned at his words – so Natsu seized the silence and continued, voice softer and one hand rubbing his chest.

"I can feel it, somewhere around here. I think… my magic is keeping it contained, like behind a sheet of glass. But the glass is cracked or something, and now…" Natsu turned to look up at Lucy. Her face was expressionless. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Lucy."

Lucy said nothing, watching him with an unreadable expression. Natsu could only imagine what she was thinking at this moment. Happy at least had the decency to let his shock and fear play on his face – not that that was any better.

"Are you sure it's your etherious?" Porlyusica asked in a put-off tone. "You sure you aren't just… nervous?"

Natsu couldn't help but be offended. "I might not be the smartest guy in the guild, but I can tell the difference between dark magic in my own body and a bad case of the jitters, lady. Besides, I don't _get_ nervous. The only time in my life I was ever nervous was when I asked her to marry me."

Lucy smiled faintly. "It's true. He was a trainwreck."

"How long have you been like this?" Porlyusica pressed, ignoring Natsu's blatant disrespect.

"Since yesterday." Natsu dropped his eyes in thought. "After defeating the Leviathan."

Porlyusica's eyebrows drew together, thoughts racing behind her eyes. "And have you used your magic at all since then?"

"No."

"I guess that explains why Gray reacted the way he did." Happy commented. Laxus jumped, glaring down at the small blue cat.

"What? You mean Gray knows?" Laxus growled, looming over Happy.

"No, we didn't tell him anything!" Happy crumpled under Laxus' stare. "But I think he suspects. He touched Natsu and his devil slayer magic went crazy! We had no idea that was gonna happen…"

Laxus stepped back and rubbed a hand to his temple, allowing Happy to retreat behind Lucy's ankles.

"Great, this is all I need." Laxus sighed. If one were to look close enough, they would see a few white hairs among the blonde.

The Healing mage's lips pinched together in a thin line as she gathered her thoughts.

"If Gray was able to sense your etherious and I wasn't, it can only mean one thing." Porlyusica closed her eyes, collecting her thoughts. "Your magic and E.N.D.'s are fusing together. I don't know how, and I don't know why, but I do know it can't be good."

Natsu stiffened. "That… sounds a lot like something Igneel told me once." He looked up to see the old woman staring at him, one eyebrow cocked as she waited for him to elaborate. "During the war, I somehow wound up meeting Igneel in my heart and he told me that there were two magic seeds trying to fuse together inside me, and I had to choose what I was – a dragon, or a demon – in order to live. I chose to be human. I was under the impression that that had solved everything."

"Yeah, that logic always seemed a little shaky to me," Happy mumbled from behind Lucy's legs.

Natsu twisted to sneer at the exceed. "I lived, didn't I?"

Natsu's eyes moved from Happy to Lucy's knees, trailing up her body to her face. She hadn't said anything in a while. Her arms were crossed loosely, one hand dropped to her hip to trace light circles over the fabric of her shirt, right where he scar was. Her face still remained uncharacteristically blank. When he made eye contact with her, she simply blinked at him, seeing him but also not.

"I doubt something as simple as that is going to help you this time. You should refrain from using your magic at all for the time being," Porlyusica said, catching his attention once again. "With any luck, this whole thing might just blow over… but I highly doubt that." Turning toward a door that lead farther into her house, Porlyusica hobbled away on her cane. "Now get out. I need to concentrate. Except for you, Laxus. We need to talk."

Natsu looked like he was about to protest, but a quick growl from Laxus silenced him. "Go home, you three. Come back to the guild tomorrow, after all of this is given a chance to make sense."

As the Master stepped forward to follow Porlyusica into her library, Natsu stood from the bed and watched them disappear. Many of his questions remained unanswered, and simply being told to not use his magic and go home was extremely unsatisfying. But just as he was about to barge off after Laxus, a hand firmly grasped his upper arm.

"Come on," Lucy said, her voice stern. "Let's go."

Natsu hesitated for a moment, but then conceded and let Lucy lead him out the door, Happy following close behind.

When Laxus and Porlyusica heard her front door close, the old woman turned to him. It may not have seemed like she had aged much over the past three years apart from her cane and her hair being a few shades lighter – but there was one thing that gave away her elderly age. The white rings around the edges of her crimson irises had developed a while ago, and while they didn't impede her vision at all, it gave her a more mystic look. Laxus gazed back into those eyes, a feeling of foreboding creeping into his chest.

"It's bad, isn't it?"

"Probably more than we realize – more than _he_ realizes. We need to figure out why this is happening and how to prevent it quickly."

"The Leviathan appeared four months ago." Laxus thought out loud. "Something must have changed. Had you heard anything?"

"I stay away from people and their pointless gossip," Porlyusica snapped with a dismissive flick of her wrist. "If something broke somewhere in the world, it's your problem."

Laxus' lip curled. "Jee, thanks old hag."

"In the meantime, keep a close eye on Natsu." Porlyusica turned away and pulled a book down from a shelf. "Keep him out of battle and from using his magic. Tell me if anything changes."

"You mean like if E.N.D. awakens?" Laxus asked, one eyebrow cocked. It had been a rhetorical question, but Porlyusica stiffened and turned back to him, her eyes darkened with fear.

"I'm afraid to say," the Healing mage said lowly. "but it's possible that he already has."

* * *

The walk back to Magnolia was a tense, quiet one. Natsu walked behind Lucy, warily glancing to the back of her head every few seconds. Clearly she was upset with Natsu for not being entirely honest about his condition. He couldn't blame her for being mad. Natsu didn't know what he had been thinking, why he didn't think to tell his fiance and best friend what was going on. She had every right to be angry. Even if it was the worst kind of anger Lucy had – the silent, brewing type, like that of a thunder cloud looming on the horizon. Happy was cautious as well, and neither of them were willing to break the silence. But Natsu was never good with silence, and if he didn't say something now, then there was a very good chance he was going to do something _really_ stupid later.

"Hey, so I think Gajeel and Levy are coming back later today," Natsu said meekly. Maybe talking about the Solid-Script mage would lighten her spirits. "You wanna meet them later?"

Lucy said nothing as the slight wind gently tossed her hair around her shoudlers. She didn't even look at him. Natsu licked his lips, determined to see this tactic through to the end. He may have been dumb, but he wasn't a quitter.

"I still can't believe we got engaged before they did." Natsu chuckled. "Then again, Gajeel was always a little slow on the uptake."

Lucy turned her head just enough to look at Natsu out of the corner of her eye. Natsu pinched his lips together, suddenly feeling very exposed. Happy shifted his eyes between the two as they continued to walk. He always hated it when they fought, but even he had to admit that Natsu keeping secrets such as this was a little insulting to him as well. Natsu was walking on thin ice, and just like what always happened when fire met ice, it was bound to break. Therefore, the cat kept his mouth shut. Lucy looked straight ahead once more without a word.

"I think… I also heard that Erza was coming back tomorrow, too," Natsu continued, but now it seemed he was mostly talking to himself. "Would be nice to say hello to her."

They had reached the edge of Magnolia, a blushing meadow marking the border between the Lilac Forest where Porlyusica lived and the city they called home. Here, Lucy stopped. Natsu and Happy halted as well, watching her as she contemplated the two paths before them; the one straight ahead and back to the guild, or the one that turned north towards the house. Natsu sighed through his nose, hoping that she would allow him to walk the same road as her.

"Happy," she finally spoke. "Can you head to the guild hall and make sure everything is alright with Gray and Wendy? I feel bad for leaving them in the dust."

Happy wasn't an idiot – Lucy wanted to be alone with Natsu. His eyes flickered over to the dragon slayer once before settling back on Lucy. "Sure. What should I tell them about the cake?"

"Tell them that I've overcome my fear of chocolate." Lucy laughed. "Thanks, Happy. We'll see you at home."

Happy waved goodbye as he took the path straight ahead into town while Natsu and Lucy curved north, taking a shortcut back to their house. Happy felt a little bad for Natsu and the earful that he would no doubt be receiving later on. But now he had a valid excuse to spend more time with Carla.

Natsu and Lucy walked side by side, their legs brushing noisily against the tall grass of the meadow. The pleasant floral scent from the newly-sprouted wild flowers was relaxing, betraying the tension between them. His mind felt strangely numb. He knew that Lucy sending Happy away was her way of letting Natsu know that she was being serious. But still she said nothing. Walking next to her granted him a better view of her face. Surprisingly, she seemed almost serene as she gazed off into the distance. She looked beautiful in the full-sun of the early afternoon.

"I'm not mad at you," Lucy finally said after she took a deep sigh. "I promise."

Natsu watched her carefully – he could almost always tell when Lucy was lying. She wasn't. Swallowing past the dryness in his throat, he reached and arm out to lightly touch the curve of her ribs. Lucy stepped into the touch, lifting her arm under his to curl her arm around his back. Natsu was never good with words, which was why he always let his actions speak for him. Some instances, such as this, proved to be the wrong way of going about things. He knew he should have told her about what he was feeling, and he deeply regretted that he didn't. Natsu had just been… so _scared_ that Lucy would think he was a monster. Scared that she would leave him. The very thought made his chest tighten. He knew that was foolish, now. Lucy wasn't as fickle as that, and it had been unfair of Natsu to believe that she was after everything they had been through. She was Lucy, after all. _His _Lucy. She deserved better than that.

"I'm sorry, Lucy," Natsu mumbled as he pressed his lips to her hair. Lucy hummed in response as they continued to walk through the meadow.

"We should be hearing from Blue Pegasus soon about your suit." Lucy looked up at him. "You'll have to go in for a fitting at some point. Think you can handle that without me?"

Natsu smirked down at her. "Don't worry. It's just trying on clothes and waiting around for hours. Nothing I haven't practiced with you."

Lucy chuckled at that. It was true – she had definitely utilized the boyfriend-bag-carrier perk when shopping ever since she and Natsu had gotten together. Juvia and Levy were also guilty of the same crime. They were girls after all, it just came with the territoy. Lucy still laughed at the memory of that day when they had all bumped into each other… how Natsu, Gray, and Gajeel had somehow managed to twist the situation into a contest of strength to see who could carry the most bags and boxes. There was no clear winner.

They continued to talk about wedding details as they walked – what food they were going to serve, the reception dinner, and the best way to keep Cana sober for as long as possible to name a few topics. When they approached their house, Lucy slowed to a stop, halting Natsu with her. As she took in the sight of their home, Natsu saw an idea playing behind Lucy's eyes.

"Hey Natsu," she said, eyes sparking. "When was the last time we sparred?"

Natsu blinked. "I'm not sure. Since before I proposed to you, I think."

Lucy had asked Natsu to teach her how to defend herself about five months into their relationship. Of course, Natsu had been delighted that she had asked. He proved himself to be one heck of a teacher, despite Lucy's expectations. It was actually rather funny, because the techniques that Natsu taught her were ones of focus, balance, and control – things that he usually lacked in battle. When she had pointed this out to him, Natsu only smirked and said that since he had already mastered these things, he didn't have to follow them. That seemed a little backwards to Lucy, but his lessons were bearing fruit so she went along with it. Today, she was able to hold her own against Erza of all people.

"Maybe we should, just for fun." Lucy said as she moved away from Natsu, fists slightly raised. "Whadda ya say?"

Natsu cocked an eyebrow at her, a sneaking suspicion in the back of his mind telling him that she had an ulterior motive for bringing this up. But they had the rest of the day to widdle away and this would provide a good distraction. It was just odd that Lucy was the one to instigate the fight instead of him.

"Sounds great!" Natsu smirked as he loosened the scarf around his neck and cracked his knuckles. "You think you can beat me this time?"

"You can't use your magic," Lucy stated, returning his smirk right back to him. "I think I've got a pretty good chance."

Natsu might have been offended if he wasn't so excited. He and Lucy jogged around to the side of the house to the small field and the lone tree that waited there. Lucy did so without taking the time to change into her sparring clothes, which Natsu also thought was odd, but chalked it up to the idea that she was just excited, too.

"So what are the rules?" Natsu stretched his arm across his chest as Lucy stood across from him, stretching her calf muscles.

"Dodge. No holding back, either!" Lucy twisted her torso a couple of times before settling into her fighting stance. "I'll know if you do."

"You sure, Luce?" Natsu cocked his head. "You usually don't like it when I go all-"

Lucy's fist flying at his face cut him short as he bent backwards. Her elbow just barely skimmed the tip of his nose. Catching himself with one hand on the ground, Natsu instinctively swung one leg up, his knee headed straight for her gut. Just as quickly, Lucy pirouetted away from his attack on one foot, then followed through with the same momentum for a kick to his chest. Natsu flung his body up into a hand stand, shooting one foot out to try to knock her in the shoulder. Lucy evaded the kick, but it sent her off balance, allowing Natsu to flip over himself and right his body on his feet once more.

Lucy came at him again, and their match continued. In an up-close-and-personal game of tag, Natsu and Lucy danced around each other as they each tried to land a hit on the other. That also meant that they weren't allowed to block, so it took a fair amount of acrobatic skill to remain in the fight. Where Natsu was definitely bigger and stronger, Lucy was flexible and quick. That wasn't to say that Lucy hadn't also grown quite strong over the years. Her arms and legs were starting to gain a little muscle definition – which Natsu thought was unbelievably sexy.

But as their brawl carried on, Natsu began to realize that something wasn't right. While all his attacks were light and eased back so he wouldn't hurt her, Lucy's blows were always at full force, stirring small breezes on his skin as they just barely missed making contact with him. She wasn't smiling anymore. Her face was hardened in concentration, and maybe a hint of frustration. It almost seemed like Lucy was actually trying to fight him, trying to strike him with all her might. A near miss to his groin seemed to confirm that for him. Lucy hadn't been lying earlier when she had said that she wasn't mad, because the truth was that she was _pissed_. Natsu realized that now, and cursed himself for falling for her trap so easily.

Lucy jumped, one leg curled to the side ready to kick at his head. Natsu was already ducked down low enough to dodge. But just as he was about to deliver a punch that he was certain she wouldn't be able to evade, Lucy twisted in midair, snapping her other leg up. The kick hit hard against the bone of Natsu's shoulder - not hard enough to break anything, but a bruise would definitely be there for a while.

Natsu tumbled to the side, sliding a little through the grass from the force of Lucy's attack. Lucy landed hard on her side, unable to get her feet under her in time. The two huffed on the ground, sweat coating their skin and grass sticking to their bodies. Lucy had won, if only just barely.

"You got that move from Gray," Natsu lifted his head. "I think that's cheating."

Lucy panted as she sat up, no trace of playfulness in her eyes. For a short while, neither of them spoke or moved as they caught their breath.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Lucy spoke softly. "I could have done something. I could have… I don't know, somehow stopped E.N.D. from coming back. I would have done anything to-why are you shaking your head?"

"Because what you just said tells me that you don't understand." Natsu grunted as he sat up as well, rubbing his tender shoulder. "And this is exactly what I was afraid was going to happen."

Lucy gaped at him. "What exactly don't I understand? Please, _enlighten_ me!"

Natsu scowled at her tone, but tried not to let this situation devolve into a fight.

"You, Porlyusica, Laxus, and everyone else all talk about me and E.N.D. like we're two different people." Natsu cast his eyes to the side. "But we're not."

Lucy didn't respond, and Natsu was too afraid to look up and see her face. A slight wind picked up, ruffling the grass and cooling their sweat-covered bodies. The silence stretched on a second too long, and Natsu couldn't help but scoff as his own anger rose. The etherious stirred.

"It's not like I go somewhere else when E.N.D. takes control." Natsu spoke quickly. "I'm still there, but I'm not the same me – I mean he is me, but I'm… dammit! Why is this so hard to explain!"

Natsu suddenly shot to his feet, his face was hot and their might have been tears in his eyes.

"Do you get what I'm trying to say, Lucy?" His voice shook a little. "The only difference between me and that monster is the type of magic I use. It's wasn't just E.N.D. that attacked you yesterday… I was…"

He couldn't continue, the tightness in his throat was already making it hard to breath. Natsu did not cry easily, yet this was the second day in a row that he found himself reduced to tears by his own fears. He heard the grass rustling as Lucy also stood. He could hear her take a couple tentative steps towards him. The wind died down, leaving Natsu's heartbeat pounding in his ears.

"Then… how come you don't remember the times when… when you're not _you_?" Lucy asked tentatively. He couldn't see her face, but her tone was gentle and even – she really was trying to understand, despite Natsu's lack of eloquence.

Natsu tipped his head toward the sky, hoping the tears would drain back into his eyes. The clouds overhead blurred.

"I don't know? I do unspeakable things, and my mind can't accept it, so I block them out, or something?" Natsu took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "I get flashes of stuff, though, like from a nightmare sometimes. That's a thing, right?"

"P.T.S.D." Lucy stated. "That's the basic gist of it."

"That's why I couldn't tell you," Natsu said as he turned to her. "Not because I didn't think you couldn't help me – but because I was afraid you would hate me."

Lucy didn't hesitate to step forward and throw her arms around him. Natsu returned the gesture, clinging to her like this was their last embrace. Their skins were sticky and both were starting to smell funny, but Lucy held him tightly. She felt guilty – she should have known that if Natsu was keeping something from her, then he always had a damn good reason why.

"I could never hate you, no matter how hard you try," Lucy mumbled into his shoulder. "Don't you ever forget that."

She felt Natsu heave a sigh under her arms. Pulling back so she could look into Natsu's face, Lucy straightened a strand of hair.

"But we're in this together now," Lucy said. "No more keeping secrets, okay?"

Natsu closed his eyes and nodded. He knew that if they were going to spend the rest of their lives together, then they had to tell each other everything. Life was too short to be scared. It was a miracle that Natsu had Lucy, he thought as he opened his eyes. What would he do without her?

"How about we pick some berries from the patch, go take a shower, and relax the rest of the evening." Lucy smiled. "How's that sound?"

"Sounds awesome." Natsu grinned back at her.

Five minutes later, Natsu and Lucy finally headed inside after rooting around in the berry patch growing by the side of the house. Their fingers were stained purple, and Natsu's lips were also pink. He couldn't help but eat a few. Carrying their handfuls of berries through the front door, Lucy tilted her head as a thought occurred to her.

"So if what you're saying is true," she thought out loud. "Doesn't that mean that I'm also marrying E.N.D.?"

Natsu almost dropped his berries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my take on the whole END situation. And if anybody else was a little unsatisfied with the whole "dragon or demon" thing in the story, I feel your pain.
> 
> As always, read, review, and enjoy!


	6. Anything That Can Go Wrong

The next morning, Natsu awoke with a clearer conscious and a _very _sore shoulder. One look in the mirror confirmed what he already knew; a deep purple bruise, right on the bone of his shoulder. Natsu swore he could see the outline of the strap of Lucy's sandal in his skin, as well as her toes. It was a pretty nasty bruise, but they both knew that he had had much worse. Natsu winced as he tried to lift his arm as high as it would go as he tried to put his jacket on. With how stiff it was after a night of sleeping on it, his poor arm would go no higher than perpendicular to his body. Natsu wasn't mad in the slightest - if anything, it was a testament to how strong Lucy was, a fruit from the labors of her training. He was proud.

"I thought bruises were manly," Lucy said with a smile. "So really, you should be thanking me."

Natsu hissed as he slipped his arm into the sleeve of his coat. Basically any movement involving the shoulder had his muscles throbbing painfully. This was going to be a fun day.

"No, _scars_ are manly," Natsu explained as he tossed his scarf around his neck with practiced ease. "Bruises are just bruises."

Stepping up to Natsu, Lucy propped her elbow up on his shoulder, leaning on him like he was a table as he tightened the belt around his waist.

"With that kind of thinking, it's no wonder all you guys are covered in scars." Thinking back, it did seem like Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, and most of the other men in Fairy Tail all had their fair share of scars. Even the males of Sabertooth were all scratched up. The same couldn't really be said for the women – except Lucy, of course. "Do boys think scars on girls are appealing?"

"It depends on the guy, really," Natsu replied. "Personally, I judge based on the story behind the scar."

"Seems like a pretty heavy double-standard if you ask me." Lucy puffed her cheek in irritation.

Natsu grinned at her as he took her hand and led her out of the bedroom, where Happy was waiting by the front door, rummaging through his little pack to make sure he had everything he needed.

"Don't worry, Lucy. You'll still be beautiful no matter how many scars you get." Natsu pecked a quick kiss to Lucy's cheek, which was hastily turning red.

"Except maybe if she got a big one on her face." Happy commented as he tied off his pack around his neck. "There's really no coming back from that."

"Wow, thanks Happy," Lucy said with a strained smile.

Just as Natsu was about to open the door, Lucy stopped him. Natsu gazed at her expectantly, waiting for her to speak. After their talk yesterday and with all that had happened, Lucy couldn't help but feel uncertain in regards to Natsu's safety, as well as her own. It had been hard to grasp the concept that Natsu and E.N.D. were one and the same, and not two different personalities like she had thought - that revelation had also opened up many more concerns for her. How would she be able to tell the difference between the two? Although, from what Natsu had told her, there wasn't really a difference...? But what kind of change did this impose on his magic? And was this going to be permanent? Questions like that made her head spin, and she had barely slept a wink last night. Natsu seemed to be taking everything in stride, like he always did – and as much as she wished she could, Lucy simply wasn't going to be able to do the same.

"Can you…still feel it?" She asked timidly. "Is it still there?"

Natsu sighed and put a hand to his chest. "It hasn't gotten better, but it also hasn't gotten worse. It's just like a slight tickle in my chest. Is it weird that I'm already starting to get used to it?"

Lucy frowned. "You haven't even used your magic yet. Who knows what might happen when you do?"

"Lucy, believe me," Natsu said as he looked her hard in the eye. "I know how bad this situation is. But there's nothing I can do about it right now, so we move on with our lives. As soon as we figure out what's going on and how to fix it, then we'll deal with it."

Lucy sighed, quelling the storm in her mind. "Okay. You're right. No use in fretting over it now."

"I still think it might be best if we try to avoid running into Gray today, though," Happy said.

"I agree with that," Lucy nodded. "He's bound to have some questions that we can't answer."

"Avoid talking to freezerburn all day?" Natsu smirked as he opened the door. "Sounds like a good day to me."

Unlike yesterday, the weather today was marred by a vicious wind that had their hair and clothing whipping around them. The sky was devoid of clouds, but a slight haze seemed to hang in the atmosphere, creating rings of rainbows around the sun. The three mages immediately recognized the signs. A storm was coming, and it was going to be a big one. They hurried to town, Happy clinging to Lucy's shoulder so he wouldn't be swept away. When they reached the guild, Natsu quickly shut the doors behind them, relieved to finally not have the wind howling in his ears. Lucy started messing with her hair, trying to restore it back to decency without much success.

"Lucy! Natsu!"

The couple looked up at the sound of their names. Lucy beamed, throwing her arms wide just in time to catch Levy in an enormous hug as she threw herself at her friend. Spinning the smaller woman around in a circle as they laughed, Lucy set her down and held her at arms-length, over-joyed in seeing Levy's face again after what felt like a long time. Gajeel and Panther Lily stepped up to them as well, raising a hand in salutation as he and Natsu exchanged their customary – and significantly less intimate – greetings to each other.

Lucy had known about Levy's little crush on Gajeel long before the two of them officially became a couple. What Lucy hadn't known, and Levy had only told her about a year and a half ago, was that she and Gajeel had actually already been "casually dating" for some time before the war. Not to be classified in a romantic way, for sure – but they spent all their time together, and aside from kissing and all that entailed an involved romance, they had technically already been a couple. Now that they were officially together, it was easy to see just how much their relationship had effected each other.

Gajeel's hair was shorter – shorter than Levy's, but still longer than Natsu's. While it had lost him that wild look that he always prided, it did make him look older and leaner, and perhaps a touch fiercer. The day he had walked into the guild with his new haircut, everyone was surprised, to say the least. Most people noted on how thick his neck looked, now that it wasn't hidden by his hair. That only lasted about five minutes though, after he punched out the tenth person to make that comment. Levy, on the other hand, hadn't changed much over the years in regards to appearance. The only difference that the Solid-Script mage had made was the line of piercings on her ears, and one also on her left eyebrow. But it wasn't a choice of fashion – each stud and ring was made out of steel and iron, so that if Gajeel ever needed a power boost during a fight, she would give him her earrings to snack on and conserve her own magic at the same time. Lucy had to admit that that was actually really clever.

"I'm so glad you're back!" Lucy sang as she pulled Levy in for another hug.

"Feels good to be back!" Levy laughed. "The eastern region of Fiore is nothing but desert and dryness. I missed the trees and greenness of Magnolia."

"You catch all those bandits in the Wastes?" Natsu cocked an eye at Gajeel. The other dragon slayer shrugged, rubbing the back of his head.

"Kind of. Turned out they were actually a bunch of vigilantes that were trying to save some endangered species of toad out there in the desert. They just had a backwards way of going about it." Gajeel smirked. "Levy and I set them straight."

"So does that mean you didn't get a reward?" Lucy asked Levy, a slight pout on her lips.

"Those guys weren't doing anything wrong, really," Levy scowled. "The person who issued the job just wanted them gone so he could go in and build some kind of 'desert spa' or whatever. Would have totally ruined the ecosystem."

"In the end, we actually ended up trashing most of their construction equipment, and eating the rest," Lily stated as he shared a wink with Gajeel and Levy. "Laxus might be getting a bill for that."

Natsu couldn't help but smile widely at that. "True Fairy Tail fashion, right there." He and Gajeel companionably bumped forearms.

"What about you guys?" Levy asked Lucy. "Did you finish your job?"

Lucy flinched, quickly thinking up something to say. Natsu wisely kept silent. The fewer details, the better. "Yeah, we defeated the Leviathan. But we decided to give our reward money to somebody who needed it more than we did."

Levy smiled. "That's Fairy Tail fashion, too. Either way, we're all poor in the end."

While the group shared a laugh, Lucy took the chance to glance around the guild hall as they all walked over to sit at a table next to the bar. There was no sign of Gray or Juvia, but Wendy and Carla were there, and already seated at the table they were heading to. She was talking to Asuka and a pair of purple-haired, teal-eyed twins. Sonya and Byanka joined the guild about nine months ago. No one was sure where they came from – but it also wasn't the first time that Fairy Tail had taken in young orphans from the streets, so nobody asked. Their dual-natured Fortune magic matched their personalities perfectly. Just as everyone came to the table, the three little girls thanked Wendy and ran off giggling.

"What did you say to them?" Lucy asked as she sat down next to the young dragon slayer, Natsu sitting next to her and Happy jumping up on the table.

"I was settling an argument for them – whether to play princesses or explorers. I suggested both!" Wendy beamed as she watched the children run around the guild hall. "I wonder if this is what it feels like to be a big sister."

"They must certainly look up to you as one if they're coming to you for things like that." Lucy smiled as she bumped Wendy with her shoulder. It only seemed like yesterday when Lucy was the one helping Wendy in a sisterly kind of way. Now she was all grown up, and doing her part to foster the next generation of Fairy Tail. Lucy couldn't be prouder.

"Where are Freed and Mirajane?" Lily asked, noticing that neither of the barkeeps were at their expected stations.

"They've been back in Laxus' office all morning," Carla replied, casting her gaze over her shoulder to the shut door. "I thought I heard something about Sabertooth."

"Not those guys again." Gajeel leaned back with a scowl, draping his arm along the bench behind Levy. "What did they do this time?"

"I haven't the faintest," Carla sighed with a shrug. "If we're lucky, then perhaps the master will tell us."

"With Sting, it could be anything!" Natsu said with a mirthful smile.

The topic of conversation devolved into friendlier subjects from there. The wind outside was howling so loudly it could be heard through the wooden walls of the guild. Every time a member came through the doors, gusts of it would sneak inside and scatter throughout the hall, chilling the atmosphere and making the job requests on the board flutter. The guild was quiet, and many of the members present seemed like they were still trying to wake up, despite the late morning hour. But the mood of the guild took a significant turn as Kinana finally showed up slightly before noon and stepped up as bartender while Mirajane and Freed were busy. With food and drink now available to them, the members regained their lively spirits once more.

Levy, Wendy, and Lucy had been in the middle of and extensively long talk about the wedding ceremony when the door burst open, sending another wave of chilling wind through the room. Lucy briefly glanced over her shoulder to see who it was before turning back to Levy – then nearly jumped out of her skin with terror as she spun back around to fully take in the sight of Gray and Juvia shaking themselves from the wind. It took less than two seconds for Gray's dark eyes to home in on their location.

With an involuntary squeak that Lucy would be embarrassed about later, she quickly grabbed Natsu's arm. Her fiancé had been too engrossed in a conversation with Gajeel, Lily, and Happy to notice her distress. He definitely realized something was up when her tugging wrenched his bruised shoulder painfully, causing him to yelp and almost slam his head into the table as Lucy pulled him beneath it. A second later, her hand snaked back up, grabbed Happy by the tail, and pulled him down as well. Happy screeched at the rough tug, but Lucy quickly placed a hand over his muzzle. The rest of the table's occupants were too stunned by the sudden, odd disappearance of their friends to react.

"Is something wrong, Lucy?" Natsu asked in a tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Gray's here!" Lucy hissed in a whisper. "I think he saw us!"

"So what? It's not like he doesn't come here every day," Natsu mumbled as he and Happy unwittingly followed Lucy as she crawled away on her hands and knees towards the other end of the long table, being careful in the forest of legs.

"You're supposed to be avoiding him, remember?" Lucy snapped. "We can't afford to have a pissed-off devil slayer on our hands!"

"If we really wanted to avoid Gray, we should have just stayed home." Natsu cast a side-long look to Happy. "At least then I can keep my dignity. Besides, I doubt Gray even remembers what happened yesterday."

Before Lucy could respond, there was a soft knock on the table above them. The person standing at the end of the table crouched down, peering in at them.

"Natsu," Gray spoke evenly. "We need to talk."

Gray allowed them to sheepishly crawl out from under the table before he continued. Juvia was standing off to the side. Neither of them looked angry, but they also didn't look thrilled.

"It's about yesterday." Gray's chin was tilted down in suspicion. "I have a couple questions for you."

Natsu responded before Lucy could think of anything to say.

"For the last time, Gray." Natsu scowled. "I'm not asking you to be my best man."

Gray gapped at Natsu's bluntness as Juvia put a hand to her mouth. From the way Gray's blood drained from his face, Natsu's words had hit a soft spot.

"What? No! This isn't about that!" The Ice-Make wizard sputtered. "Listen, I could barely sleep last night, so I'm just gonna come out and say it – my devil slayer magic reawakened because of you. Do you have any idea why?"

"No," Natsu replied. But in that moment, Gray's magic wasn't the only thing acting strange. He could feel his etherious pressing against his heart, with more force than usual. He tried to ignore it. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb with me Natsu!" Gray stepped forward into Natsu's personal space. Happy and Lucy watched, desperately hoping they would somehow avoid an incident today. Juvia was silent and expressionless. Another gust of wind from the door opening washed over them, and Gray backed off, displaying an uncommon level of maturity.

"Look, I'm not trying to start anything," Gray said sincerely, crossing his arms. "I've just had a bad feeling ever since yesterday. I can't quite explain it, but it feels like something is about to happen… something big, and I have no doubt it's going to involve everyone. I just wanted to clear the air, maybe figure out what was going on before–what are you looking at? You should look at me when I'm talking to you, Natsu. And what's with that face?"

"Hello, boys."

Gray nearly jumped out of what little remained of his wardrobe. His face immediately settled into the strained, horrified smile that was mirrored on Natsu's face. Spinning around, Gray and Natsu stepped back as Erza stepped forward, smiling gently at them with her hands on her hips.

"Erza!" Squeaked Natsu and Gray simultaneously. "Didn't hear you come in!"

Erza chuckled at the two. "Really now, when are you two going to stop being scared of me? We're all S-class wizards now, which means we're equals."

"Hey Erza," Lucy piped up, welcoming the interruption. "How did your job go?"

Erza turned to the younger woman, a smirk in her lips. "Piece of cake, if I do say so myself."

Like Laxus, Erza had also befallen victim to premature greyness, the silver being much more prominent in her scarlet locks. The color change only took place around her temples and the sides of her head, however, and was only really noticeable when she tied her hair up. Despite the look of frailty this seemed to give her, Erza was still good ol' Erza – kicking ass left and right with enough time to spare for her friends. The only other sign that time had gone by was her routine change of armor. Instead of wearing one big metal plate, Erza now wore smaller pieces all bound together within a black leather cast. Although this armor left her open to more damage, it was freeing and light. The metal plates were colored a dark silver, her traditional crusaders cross etched along the plate that covered her stomach in black steel.

"You were interrupting an important conversation between Gray and Natsu, Erza," Juvia stated bluntly. Lucy sneered at her – why couldn't she just let it go?

"Is that so?" Erza puckered her lips in thought as she looked the two men up and down. Both of them gulped under her assuming gaze. "Did you finally ask him to be your best man, Natsu? If so, tell him to shave that marmot off his face for the ceremony."

Both the dragon slayer and Ice-Make wizard gawked at Erza, each of them feeling two different kinds of offense.

"That's not what we were talking about!" Gray exploded first. "And if you've got something to say about my facial hair then say it to my face!"

"I will never ask this _pervert _to be my best man, and that's final!" Natsu suddenly rounded on Gray. "And no one likes your stupid beard!"

"I like it." Juvia interjected with a raise of her hand.

"You're just jealous because I can actually _grow one_!" Gray spat.

"Enough, you two," Erza growled as her hands shot up to grab both of their heads and smash them together like coconuts. Natsu and Gray reeled from the unexpected impact to their faces. Lucy, Juvia, and Happy couldn't help but sigh at the oh-so familiar scene.

"And that's why they're still scared of her," Lucy mumbled, Juvia and Happy nodding in agreement.

The mood of the guild suddenly changed as the door to the Master's office opened, Laxus, Mirajane, and Freed stepping out. Their expression were grim. The member of Fairy Tail stopped and looked up as Laxus made his way to the small wooden stage. Mira stayed behind as Freed and the Master looked out over everyone, waiting for them all to quiet down and provide him with their undivided attention. It didn't take long – Laxus had a demanding presence and everyone knew he didn't like having his time wasted.

"I've got some bad news," Laxus spoke loudly after he felt they were all listening. "Last night, just after sunset, Sabertooth was attacked."

The guild hall immediately erupted into quiet murmurs at the news. Natsu, Happy, and Lucy shared a nervous look. Who would be so bold to attack Sabertooth? Had another demon awakened? Were they all okay? The guild went silent again as Freed called out for everyone to be quiet.

"There weren't any casualties," Laxus reported as he crossed his arms. "But they did sustain some heavy damage and many of their members were severely injured. Their own city is taking good care of them. Now, I'm sure you're all wondering how this could have happened. Given some… _recent_ events, I can't help but feel like I should have seen this coming."

Natsu instantly reached out for Lucy's hand as a spike of fear drove though his chest and thoughts raced through his head. He had to be talking about the Leviathan and Natsu's etherious, just had to be. So it _was_ another demon.

"There's been a dark guild on the rise for some time now. I'm sure some of you have probably heard the rumors." Laxus huffed a sigh through his nose. "That guild is Ruby Manticore. It's the only known co-op wizard _and_ mercenary guild in Fiore. They've been low profile from the start – but for some reason, they've come out of the shadows. It's not a very big guild, so the fact that they had the gall to attack one of the strongest guilds in Fiore should speak for their own abilities."

More mumbles rose from the members of the guild as they turned to each other and asked if they knew anything about Ruby Manticore. Indeed, some members had heard strange tales of the dark guild that was starting to gain a presence in the underground. Natsu, Lucy, and Happy were just relieved that it didn't turn out to be a demon. The feeling of apprehension towards this strange - and apparently _powerful _\- new enemy hung thick in the air. Laxus watched everyone with calculated eyes.

"With that said, since Sabertooth is our ally, we simply can't sit back with our thumbs up our butts and let Ruby Manticore do whatever they please." Laxus' tone became darker. "If their actions go unpunished, they might get it in their heads to attack another guild – and I don't want to take that chance of it being us. Therefore, on behalf of Sabertooth and all our other allied guilds, we are going to lay low the bastards that would dare think that they could harm our friends and not have hell to pay for it!"

The members of Fairy Tail roared their agreement. When you waged war with one guild, you waged war with them all.

"They might have been able to get the jump on those pansies at Sabertooth, but these cowards are nothing compared to us!" Laxus cast his eyes around the room, his confidence and compassion was contagious. "So I'm sending our team of highly skilled wizards to take Ruby Manticore by surprise, and destroy them in one fell swoop. That'll put those dark guild wannabe's in their place. You know who you are, and you'll be representing the wrath of Fairy Tail and all our friends who have been affected by their actions. I know you won't let us down. If anybody wants to volunteer to join them, come talk to me. That is all!"

Everyone knew exactly who he was talking about – Fairy Tail's star team, and most powerful mages. Lucy and Natsu shared knowing gazes with Gray, Juvia, and Erza. Gajeel and Wendy also stood from their seats with nods of acknowledgment towards Laxus. Gray turned his head toward Natsu, a slight frown on his face. He had been right – something big was happening. Bigger than they probably realized.

"I'm not done with you yet, Natsu." He spoke softly in the quiet atmosphere so only Natsu, Lucy, and Happy could hear him. "I'll get to the bottom of this."

Lucy couldn't tell if it was a threat or a promise. Either way, his words did not sit well with her. Natsu stiffened beside her, but before he could retort in any way, Laxus' booming voice rang out once more.

"Natsu Dragneel, Lucy Heartfilia," He called, immediately picking them out from the crowd. "My office. Now."

If Gray hadn't been suspicious before, he certainly was now. Natsu and Gray glared at each other. Taking his hand, Lucy guided Natsu away from him and toward the back of the guild. She could feel their friend's eyes on their backs. Biting her lip, Lucy wondered just how long they could keep this up, and what would happen when their secret finally did come to light.

The possibility made her skin run cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who's left kudos and commented! It is greatly appreciated. Not much action in this chapter, but there will be plenty in the next!


	7. When It Rains

_"What the hell do you mean I'm not going?!"_

"Stop shouting, you idiot," Laxus grumbled, sticking a pinkie in his ear. "You're gonna give me a headache."

"You can't be serious!" Natsu slammed his hands against Laxus' desk. "Nobody's better at taking down dark guilds than me! Or did you forget about Eisenwald, Oración Seis, Grimoire Heart, Tartaros, and Avatar?! That was all me!"

"We were there, too, you know." Lucy and Happy mumbled.

The five of them – Natsu, Lucy, Happy, Laxus, and Freed – were crammed in his office. Laxus had summoned Natsu to see him immediately after he had made his announcement, officially halting Gray's confrontation with the dragon slayer. Lucy and Happy had followed him, a feeling in her stomach that they might have to be there in case Laxus said something that Natsu didn't want to hear – which turned out to be exactly the case.

"You were able to use your magic back then, Natsu," Freed said with a frown. He had been filled in on the situation with Natsu out of necessity. "Putting you in a situation where you would be forced to in your condition is out of the question. We can't have you putting innocent lives at risk if you lose control."

Natsu clenched his jaw so hard, Lucy could hear his teeth grinding together. "If you really think that I would let something like that happen…"

"It's happened before, Natsu. Or did you forget?" Laxus growled. Natsu recoiled, visibly hurt by Laxus' words. "You almost killed Lucy. If even she isn't safe from E.N.D., then no one is."

Lucy stepped up beside Natsu, her anger flaring. "But he didn't kill me! In fact, he saved my life, as well as Happy's life and a civilian's life."

"We don't even know for sure if it'll happen again," Happy piped up. "There's no demon involved this time. It was the Leviathan that was causing all the problems, after all."

Natsu smiled at Happy and Lucy, touched by them coming to his defense. But Laxus shook his head.

"Look, I know you want retribution for Sabertooth," Laxus' tone was steady. "We all do. But it's clear to see that there's something not quite right with these Manticore guys – they've been a bottom-feeding guild for years, but suddenly they have members that are strong enough to hold up to Sting and Rogue? That's just strange. I don't know if it has anything to do with Zeref or his demons, and there's a good chance it doesn't. But for now, I want you to stay away from any situations that are less than transparent. For the time being."

"I'm tired of sitting on my ass." Natsu scowled. "At some point, I'm going to have to use my magic, and we're going to have to deal with what does or doesn't happen. Would you rather I do that here in Magnolia, or in a dark guild's hall?"

Freed and Laxus exchanged looks. He did have a point; Natsu without his magic was a terrible inconvenience, and they couldn't keep putting off the problem. While the dragon slayer wasn't vital to this mission, he was an asset. But with Natsu's current predicament, it came down to weighing the risks of two very unfavorable outcomes – Ruby Manticore seeking vengeance if the mission failed, or E.N.D. being released on the world once more. One seemed more likely than the other, thus the final decision.

"We will address your issue soon, Natsu. I promise." Laxus sighed. Now that Lucy was looking, he seemed much more exhausted from the last time she saw him. "Porlyusica is working on something right now. But we can't wait till she's finished. Our team heads out tomorrow. As much of a pain I know this is for you, you will not be going with them. That's final."

Natsu was silent, trembling with rage and his teeth bared in a snarl. Lucy reached up a hand, but before she could touch him, Natsu spun and kicked one of the chairs placed in front of Laxus' desk. The seat slid across the floor and slammed into the wall, shattering apart at the joints. With that, he stormed out of the office, leaving everyone with an uneasy feeling of guilt. Laxus sighed once more as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Just when I think things couldn't get any more complicated."

"You mustn't blame yourself, Master," Freed consoled. "You knew this wasn't going to be easy, but you made the right call. We can't possibly imagine what he's going through."

"I know, I know." Laxus looked up over his knuckles at Lucy and Happy. "But you probably can, right? You we're there, three years ago. You're probably as upset about this as he is."

Lucy huffed through her nose. "It bothers him more than he lets on. I think he would have loved this opportunity to prove that he's not the demon we all seem to think he is. I also don't think he likes the idea of me going on a mission without him."

"I'm worried about Natsu." Laxus said after a moment of silence. "But he won't listen to me. Do you think you could talk to him?"

Lucy gazed at the Master, thoughts drifting in her eyes. "I understand where your decision is coming from, but I don't fully agree with it. You fear E.N.D. more than you trust Natsu, and you shouldn't. You know Natsu would never hurt anybody. But…yes, I will talk to him."

"Thank you." The relief in Laxus' words was astounding. "If it helps, tell him that Elfman and Alzac have volunteered to help you guys. Maybe that'll set him at ease."

"Aye, we'll tell him," Happy said as he and Lucy turned to go.

As they exited Laxus' office, Lucy saw no sign of her fiancé. She knew he liked to be alone when he was upset, so there was a good chance that he had left the guild. Knowing from experience, it was best to let him blow off steam for now and keep her distance. In the meantime, Lucy and Happy spotted the team for the mission, plus Elfman and Alzac gathered together. Members of the guild who knew anything about Ruby Manticore came forward with information regarding their whereabouts, guild size, and other bits of information that had been picked up. Most of it was based on rumors, but it was all they had for now. Levy had already dug through the Fairy Tail library in the basement and was pouring over them with Wendy's and Juvia's assistance. Gray, Gajeel, and Erza had a map spread out on the table, talking over it and asking each other questions.

Lucy frowned sadly at the sight, thinking that Natsu had every right to be here with them. It was unfair that all this was happening at once, and the stress over the past couple of days was starting to take its toll. Why did it always seem that when times got bad, they got _really_ bad?

"He's gonna be okay, Lucy," Happy said from her side. Lucy looked down at the little blue cat, who was smiling up at her. "He's Natsu, after all."

Lucy smiled back. Nodding at Happy, they made their way over to join the planning party. She needed to take her own advice, and believe in Natsu. After all, he always bounced back with that grin on his face and ready for the next fight. It was just who he was.

* * *

Natsu was not usually the type of person to hold grudges. He challenged people to rematches, but that was mostly all in good fun. He was a passionate man, but he lived by the old saying of "forgive and forget". There had been one or two notable exceptions to that over the years, but Natsu could basically count the number of real enemies he had on one hand. He was not an angry person, usually saw the silver-linings in life, understood that things didn't always go his way, and accepted the things he couldn't change.

But not this time.

Natsu kicked a stone roughly as he stomped through the streets of Magnolia. Hands shoved deep into his pockets, Natsu's thoughts replayed Laxus' and Freed's words over and over in his head as his feet carried him to no particular destination. The howling wind had driven the people from the sidewalks, leaving the dragon slayer alone with his worries. As his hair whipped into his face, Natsu cast his head down, darkening his face to match his thoughts. His jaw worked a steady rhythm back and forth, and he knew it would probably ache later, but he really didn't care.

However, he most definitely _did_ care about being left out of a mission because of something like this. How the hell did Laxus expect him to just sit idly by as his fiancé was sent to deal with a powerful dark guild? Lucy was strong, and he knew she would have great back up, but none of that was enough to make Natsu comfortable with this at all. If anything ever happened to her… Natsu huffed a sigh through his nose, warm air collecting in front of his face before it was snatched away by the wind.

What really ground his gears was that Laxus and Freed didn't think he could use his magic without losing control, and that he was basically useless without it. Natsu could admit that about 60% of his destructive power came from his magic – but this wasn't Edolas and he wasn't a kid anymore. His muscles weren't just for show, and he knew he could still defend his friends and do a significant amount of damage if he was just plain old Natsu for once. Natsu was more than just his magic, so it was infuriating to be brought low by such thoughts and fears. He understood the uncertainty that Laxus was feeling in regards to the etherious – he could feel it knocking on the glass even now – but when push came to shove, were they just going to toss him in a corner? Sweep him under the rug and pretend nothing was wrong? Experience had taught him that the only way anybody could know anything for sure was by doing.

Natsu stopped in his tracks as a thought occurred to him. His scarf fluttered around him in the wind, snapping and twisting like a snake.

He could do it, Natsu thought. He could give his magic a test right now, and finally answer the question as to what would happen. Then he could prove to Laxus that he was more than capable of carrying out this mission - or prove Laxus right, which wasn't ideal, but at least Natsu would know that his worries were sound. It was time for him to take matters into his own hands. But the more Natsu mulled over the idea, the more he began to doubt. What if something_ did_ happen? Would he be able to stop if things started going wrong? How would he know if-

"Screw this," Natsu cursed, forcing himself to stop thinking as he took off at a jog. He needed to be alone when he did this, regardless of the outcome, and Natsu knew the perfect little isolated spot.

It only took about ten minutes to run up to the large lake to the west of Magnolia – the very same lake that fed the canal running through the heart of the city. One side of the lake carved into the Lilac Forest, where the banks were crowded with trees. The other side was nearly treeless, and had small shores of fine sand. It was here that Natsu decided would be a good place to test his magic. From here he could see the thunderheads rolling in over the mountains. The storm would probably be upon them by nightfall. Plenty of time.

Natsu took a deep breath. Admittedly, he was feeling a little anxious, and that anxiety seemed to be feeding the black magic. It was pulsing with his heart, like it knew what Natsu intended to do and was getting ready – or maybe that was just in his head. Either way, he wasn't turning back now.

The fire burning in his torso reacted to his summon, flaring brighter at the source in his stomach. Familiar strength flooded into Natsu's limbs – and the glass separating the fire from the etherious, although cracked, remained intact. Lifting a hand, Natsu spread his fingers and held his breath. Sparks leapt across his palm moments before a fire sprang to life, flames dancing between his fingers with absolutely no hint of black. Natsu paused, consciously noting how he felt. The flow of magic was steady and strong, and although the etherious behind Natsu's heart had started thrumming, it was still contained.

He felt fine.

Natsu's face busted out in a wide smile, the relief he felt betraying just exactly how worried he'd been.

"Alright," Natsu whispered as he licked his lips. "Time to see what I can do."

Pulling his hand back, the small flame in Natsu's palm expanded into a full bonfire as he poured more magic into it. Clenching his fist, Natsu thrust it forward, throwing the fireball out over the surface of the lake. The roaring flames carried themselves a hundred feet over the water before dissipating. Spinning on one heel, Natsu squared off with an unfortunate tree that had decided to grow within Natsu's vicinity.

"Fire Dragon Iron Fist!"

The wood of the trunk charred and crumbled beneath Natsu's fist. The only thing he felt was a sharp complaint from his bruised shoulder. Now sporting a sizeable divet in its trunk, the tree cracked and splintered, toppling to the ground loudly. Small tongues of fire licked at the wood, flickering turbulently in the wind. Turning away from the felled tree, Natsu inhaled deeply, expanding his lungs to maximum capacity. As the fire within him concentrated in his chest, the etherious shuddered.

"Fire Dragon Roar!"

The pillar of fire climbed high into the sky from Natsu's wide mouth. Had the spell been directed at someone or something, it would have been an incredibly powerful attack that left no trace of its target. For a moment, the wind in Natsu's area was quelled by the sudden rise in air pressure. When all of the air and magic was expelled from his lungs, Natsu gasped in another breath. Bracing his hands against his knees, Natsu huffed as the wind resumed howling around him. The fire within receded back to his torso, slightly depleted from use but still blazing. Natsu held still, waiting for something to happen – for the etherious to surge to life like it had when the Leviathan attacked.

Seconds passed, and nothing changed. The metaphorical sheet of glass that kept the black magic at bay held, even when Natsu's fire withdrew.

"Oh yeah," Natsu chuckled as he stood up straight. "Take that, Laxus."

Then the glass broke.

* * *

Lucy cradled her mug of tea as she sat alone at the kitchen table of her home. The herbal scent drifted up to her nose and the warmth of the cup was soothing… but she had barely taken more than a sip of it, a deep-seated worry sitting heavy in her chest.

When she and Happy had finally come home, they were met with a letter from Master Bob of Blue Pegasus saying that they would love to make Natsu's suit for the wedding, and that he could come in for a fitting whenever he was ready. The paper was scented with tulips, and sealed with a kiss. The groom in question, however, had not been home. The storm had been almost directly overhead, the intimidating grey clouds darkening the day. That had been almost two hours ago, and now it was raining violently. Debating on what she should do, Lucy and Happy had opted to wait and see if he got home in one piece. But as the thunder rattled the windows on the house, they were beginning to regret not going out and looking for him.

The mission planning had ended on a somewhat less than satisfactory note. Since all they had to go off of was rumors and some vague official records Levy had found in the Library, they had been able to triangulate a position for what they _hoped_ was the Ruby Manticore headquarters, and not just one of the outposts that were said to be all over Fiore. The trip out to the spot – located somewhere within the Juniper Hills in the south west region of the country – would take about a day, and from there it was difficult to say exactly what they were going to do next. Five hours of research and planning, and the best they could do was wing it. Didn't really inspire a lot of confidence, but Erza was hopeful.

Gray had approached Lucy, like she knew he would. Showing a bit more care with her than he had with Natsu, it was conveyed to Lucy that Gray was simply concerned, and that he really wasn't trying to accuse Natsu or Lucy of anything. Lucy, though she understood where he was coming from, had pretty much begged Gray to wait, promising that she would provide an explanation when she could. Obviously, the Ice-Make mage was unsatisfied with that answer, but he trusted Lucy, so he and Juvia parted ways with her as they all headed home. Lucy and Happy agreed that it was necessary to keep Gray in the dark for now, although they both admitted that that wasn't really fair. It was a complicated situation, and they all just wanted it to get fixed. Soon.

"I'm sure he'll be okay," Happy called down from his nest in the tree, stirring Lucy from her thoughts. "He probably fell asleep somewhere."

Lucy smiled at the cat. "I'd be very impressed and a little concerned if he was able to sleep through this… but I just can't shake the feeling that something must have happened."

"Aye, me too," Happy sighed. He turned to look out the window. "I won't be able to fly in this storm… otherwise I'd be out there looking for him."

Lucy nodded, took a deep breath, and stood from her seat with her mug left untouched.

"Alright, I guess I'll just have to go out there and find him." Lucy was already zipping up one of her boots as she spoke.

"Do you even know where to start?"

"Not really, but I'll start at the guild. It'll pretty much be guess and check from there." Lucy shrugged. "He couldn't have gone far, otherwise he'd tell us, right?"

Happy frowned, but didn't say anything. He didn't have to. Lucy zipped up the only rain jacket that she had and headed for the front door, giving a salute to Happy.

"Alright, wish me luck!" Lucy put her hood up. "If I'm not back in an hour, remember I want pink roses at my funeral."

Lucy reached for the handle.

The door flew open suddenly, gusts of wind and rain bursting into the house. Lucy jumped back, startled. As she peered through the rain and darkness, her worry quickly turned to relief.

"Where the hell have you been?" Lucy stepped back as Natsu trudged into the house, dripping wet. Lucy closed the door behind him then turned to face him. He hadn't answered. "Well?"

Then she noticed the holes in his clothes, edged with black, charred cloth. Lucy and Happy shared a look or horror. He had used his magic.

"Natsu," Lucy spoke slowly and quietly. "What happened?"

Natsu didn't respond. His clothes and head were soaked with rain, and he seemed to be shivering just the slightest. His head was tilted down, face hidden in the shadow of his hair. Lucy stepped in front of him, bending over a little to make him look at her. That worried feeling was coming back in full force. Natsu finally met her eyes, and his mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. But they were his eyes, not E.N.D.'s. Lucy raised an eyebrow at him, not sure what to make of this silence. His expression was hard to read – almost fear, but also joy.

"Hey, are you okay?" She asked again, tone soft. Stepping up to him, Lucy gently laid a hand on his wet shoulder.

Again, Natsu didn't respond. He continued to stare at her, unblinking. Just as Lucy was about to ask once more, he leaned in quickly and kissed her. Though his lips were wet and cold, his breath was warm. Tenderly, Natsu wrapped his arms around her, deepening the kiss. Lucy, though confused, followed the gesture as he pulled back and kissed her again. When her hands splayed across his back, she noticed how tense his muscles were. For a few moments, Natsu and Lucy stayed in their own world as a puddle began to form on the floor. When Lucy finally broke away from him and looked into his face, she was surprised with what she saw. Natsu stared back at her. He seemed sad now, eyebrows arched up and a small frown on his lips. Lucy's heart sank.

Natsu finally spoke. "I have to tell you something."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience! Also sorry for the cliffhanger!

**Author's Note:**

> So I started this story before the manga was close to ending. It's implied that the story would have ended differently than what is canon, please trust me that all will be explained. I've got quite a few chapters written, so please leave a review and tell me what you think!
> 
> Thank you and enjoy!


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